Love Takes Away the Pain: Book Two
by ahowell1993
Summary: Sequel to Love Takes Away the Pain: Book One. With the birth of Piper Ann Reid, Spencer and Olivia are adjusting to their first year with Piper. Will Spencer be able to handle being a family man when a stalker is targeting his teammates and himself while his personal life includes a few surprises? Be prepared for many trips to the dentist due to a lot of fluff.
1. Piper's First Day

Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds

 _A/N: I accidentally deleted this story so I am re-posting it. So sorry for your inconvenience that you guys have to add this story to favorites and follow again._

 _I was asked in a review for chapter 66 of Love Takes Away the Pain: Book One about who would I cast as Piper Ann Reid and I picked Cecilia Balagot from Girl Meets World to play Piper Ann Reid. Also please read Love Takes Away the Pain: Book One before starting this story._

* * *

 **Previously in Love Takes Away the Pain: Book One**

 _ **Spencer got up from the chair he was sitting in and walked over to his wife's bed. He gently extracted Piper from Olivia and sat down in the chair near by.**_

 _ **"Hello Piper. I'm your daddy." whispered Spencer as he stroked his beautiful daughter's cheek with his finger while Piper gazed back at him daddy while gripping his finger "You being born today, of all days you could have been born is the best Father's Day gift I could ever ask for." said Spencer as Olivia took a picture of him holding his daughter**_

* * *

Spencer looked down at his newborn daughter who was laying in his arms.

"Are you a Cal-tech girl, because daddy can get you in with just one phone call, but with how beautiful you are mommy and I can get you into Georgetown with one phone call instead so I can keep a closer eye on you because I just want to lock you into a tower with a fire breathing dragon to keep boys away from you." said Spencer before telling Piper his plans for world domination

Olivia shook her head as her husband started to tell their daughter about his plans for world domination as she used his phone to send the pictures that were taken to her phone and Alex's phone and spoke up two minutes later.

"How about you and Piper join me in bed for some cuddle time." said Olivia as she scooted over a bit

"Are you sure that I am allowed to lay in bed with you?" asked Spencer as he slowly got out of the chair he was sitting in with Piper in his arms

"Dr. Carter said that she actually encourages father's to join the mother of his child in bed when bonding with their newborn child, but no sexual activity for me for a few months." said Olivia as she scooted forward so she could have her head on Spencer's chest

"OK." said Spencer as he passed Piper to Olivia before kicking off his shoes and joining Olivia in bed where she laid her head on his chest while he wrapped an arm around Olivia who had Piper in her arms

"Just wait until Derek finds out that you are cuddling in bed with two girls." joked Olivia

"I can never pass an opportunity to have cuddle time with my two girls." murmured Spencer as he lightly stroked his daughter's light brown curls before Piper gripped his finger

* * *

For the next hour, Spencer and Olivia gazed down at their daughter and Olivia decided to bring up what they were both thinking as they watched their daughter stare at them.

"We did a great job." said Olivia as she looked at Piper who was staring at her mommy and daddy

"Yeah we did." said Spencer as he kissed Olivia's head

Olivia looked at her daughter, and she decided to bring up who Piper looks like.

"It seems like Piper has a perfect mixture of both of us." said Olivia

"She has your hair color." said Spencer as he gently ran a finger through his daughter's curly hair

"Her hair curls like yours Spencer." said Olivia as she looked into Piper's eyes and remembered a photo that she saw of a three hour old Spencer "It seems like she is going to have your eyes too."

"We will have to wait and see because it can take a few months for a baby's eyes to change color." said Spencer as he looked at the clock, seeing that it was already 8 AM "Alex should be here soon."

"She said that she will come around 9 AM." said Olivia as Piper started whimpering a bit

Olivia turned her head so she could make eye contact with her husband.

"I think she's hungry." said Olivia

"I think I should get off of this bed for you can feed Piper." said Spencer as he gently extracted himself from Olivia's hospital bed

"Should I nurse Piper or should we call a nurse for some formula?" asked Olivia

Spencer quickly thought about one of the books he read before speaking.

"We won't know if Piper will be lactose intolerant for a few weeks yet, so how about you try nursing her even though breast milk contains lactose." said Spencer

"OK." said Olivia as she passed Piper to him so she could adjust her hospital gown a bit "Can you close the door so I can have some privacy?" asked Olivia

"Sure." said Spencer as he passed Piper to Olivia before walking over to close the door. He grabbed his cellphone and sat down in the recliner watching Olivia nurse their daughter while she sang softly to Piper

A few minutes later there was a knock on their door, and Spencer got out of his chair to answer it. He exited the room when he saw that it was Alex.

"I thought that you could use some non-hospital coffee to go with the breakfast I picked up for you and Olivia." said Alex quietly

"Thanks." said Spencer as he took a sip before adding "I have been up since midnight even though I did get some sleep while Olivia was sleeping off the sedative she was given."

"Thanks for the picture earlier." said Alex

"You're welcome." said Spencer as they walked to a room where Spencer could eat his breakfast

"Did you tell your teammates where you are yet?" asked Alex

"Only Hotch knows my location as of right now because they're still in San Francisco, and knowing him he will come up with a good excuse why I will be out of reach." said Spencer as they sat down at a table

"Make sense that only Hotch knows or the others will want to call another team in because they want to come home." joked Alex

Spencer continued eating his breakfast, and as soon as he threw away the trash his cellphone vibrated indicating a text message from Olivia.

PIPER HAS BEEN FED AND BURPED, SO YOU CAN COME BACK. ~ OR

"Olivia said that I can come back now." said Spencer

"Well let's get going so I can hold Piper." said Alex

Two minutes later Spencer opened up the door to see Olivia sleeping while Piper was in her crib. He walked over to his sleeping daughter and gently scooped her up, then gently handed her over to Alex who was sitting down.

"Alex, I want you to meet Piper Ann Reid." said Spencer, causing Piper to wake up because she heard her daddy's voice

"She's beautiful." said Alex causing Olivia to wake up

"Yeah she is." said Spencer as he smiled softly at his daughter who was staring at Alex

"I can tell that she has a perfect mixture of you and Olivia." said Alex noticing that Piper has Olivia's hair color that curls like her father's before looking at Piper's eyes and adding "It seems like Piper is going to have your eyes Spencer." said Alex

"I know." said Spencer

Olivia finally decided to alert her husband and Alex to let them know that she's awake.

"Hey Alex." said Olivia

"How are you feeling?" asked Alex

"Sore, but all the labor pains are gone since I gave birth over three hours ago." said Olivia

Piper started whimpering causing Alex to pass Piper to her father who rubbed her back gently for a few seconds causing Piper to quiet down.

"Seems like you are going to be a daddy's girl." cooed Alex before spending a few minutes talking to Olivia and heading home herself so she Skype with her husband

Olivia looked at her husband.

"You need a nap before you can drive to the airport in a few hours." said Olivia as she patted the bed beside her

Spencer placed Piper in her crib before joining his wife in bed while making sure that they are in a position that was comfortable for the both of them.

"At least you are thin enough to fit in this twin size bed with me." said Olivia

"But thanks to you, I did gain a few pounds since meeting you nearly 13 months ago." said Spencer as he removed his glasses and placed them on the table nearby

* * *

Three hours later Spencer looked at Olivia who was looking through the menu that was provided for her.

"I am going to head down to the cafeteria to get myself some lunch and locate Dr. Harris." said Spencer

"Make sure you walk around a bit too." said Olivia, knowing that if her husband stretches his legs a bit she can get her Father's Day surprise prepared for him

As soon as Spencer left her hospital room, Olivia called for a nurse who entered the room two minutes later.

"What can I do for you Mrs. Reid?" asked the nurse

"Are there any Father's Day cards in the gift shop?" asked Olivia

"Yes there is." said the nurse before realizing that Olivia's husband wasn't in the room "Where is your husband?"

"He is going to eat some lunch and walk around, and I want to do something for Father's Day today, even though he considers his daughter being born as the best Father's Day gift ever." said Olivia

"That's so sweet." said the nurse as she checked on Piper, satisfied that she was sleeping soundly "So what are you planning to do?"

Olivia started explaining, and a minute later the nurse was grinning as she spoke.

"I will go down there myself and be back in 15 minutes. I will help you use some washable ink to get Piper's hand print on the card." said the nurse as she looked at the picture on Olivia's phone that she wanted her to print out

"Thank you." said Olivia

"Not a problem Olivia, because I enjoy working in this ward." said the nurse as someone from the cafeteria brought Olivia her lunch "Just eat your lunch and then you can get started on that project as soon as you eat."

"Yes ma'am." said Olivia

20 minutes later the nurse came back with the materials that Olivia asked for and looked at Olivia.

"How about you write down what you want to write while I put some ink on Piper's hand." said the nurse as she closed the door

15 minutes later the nurse had Piper's hand cleaned up, and she looked at Olivia who was sealing the envelope and hiding it under her covers.

"Want to hold Piper?" asked the nurse

"Yes please, and I know that my husband should be back any minute." said Olivia

* * *

Spencer saw a nurse exit Olivia's hospital room and spoke.

"How are they?" asked Spencer

"Your wife and daughter are doing great, and based on how well they are doing they should be able to go home on Tuesday." smiled the nurse

"That's great." grinned Spencer before the nurse walked away

Spencer opened the door and grinned at the sight of Olivia holding his daughter.

"How was Piper over the past 40 minutes that I was away to eat lunch and talk to Dr. Harris about my mom?" asked Spencer as he kissed his wife's cheek before giving his daughter a gentle kiss on her forehead

"Piper has been a quiet baby." said Olivia as she grabbed the project she worked on while Spencer was away from under her covers "Happy Father's Day, Spencer." said Olivia as she passed the envelope to Spencer

Spencer opened up the envelope seeing that there was a card and he slowly opened it to see a picture of him and Piper.

"This was taken a few hours ago." said Spencer

"The nurse ran down to the gift shop for me. But you should read the card." said Olivia

Spencer quickly read the note and he smiled when he saw Piper's hand print on it.

HAPPY VERY FIRST FATHER'S DAY, DADDY. I KNOW THAT YOU CONSIDER ME BEING BORN TODAY AS THE BEST FATHER'S DAY GIFT THAT YOU COULD EVER ASK FOR, BUT MOMMY AND I AGREED THAT WE NEEDED TO GIVE YOU YOUR FIRST FATHER'S DAY CARD.

LOVE,

PIPER ANN REID

Olivia watched her husband release a few tears when he read the card and she spoke.

"You alright Spencer?" asked Olivia as she rested her IV free hand on his arm

Spencer removed his glasses so he could wipe a few tears from his eyes before leaning down to kiss his wife before gently taking his daughter from Olivia.

"Thank you for the Father's Day card Piper, and I am definitely going to display this card and picture on my desk when I return to work." said Spencer as he gently kissed his daughter's forehead as he heard the shutter sound from the camera on Olivia's phone

"This photo is a keeper." smiled Olivia as she showed her husband the picture and she looked at the clock "You should probably head over to the airport and pick up Emily, your parents, and your aunt."

Spencer looked at the clock and spoke up.

"I guess I should." sighed Spencer

"We will still be here when you get back." said Olivia

Spencer looked at his daughter and spoke up.

"Daddy is going away for about two hours, but I will be back soon." said Spencer as he gently kissed his daughter's head before kissing Olivia himself

* * *

Spencer was waiting at the gate where Emily was getting off, and a few minutes later he heard her voice.

"REID!" shouted Emily as she rushed over to Spencer to give him a hug

"Hey Emily." said Spencer as he hugged Emily while picking her up a bit

"With how you are able to lift me up while hugging me, you are definitely going to have no problem carrying your daughter when she is 10 years old." said Emily

"I'd rather get through my first year with my newborn daughter than thinking about her future, even though I have two colleges in mind that Piper can attend when she is ready." said Spencer

"Cal-tech and Georgetown?" asked Emily

"Olivia and I can get Piper into both of those colleges with only one phone call." said Spencer

Emily shook her head before speaking.

"How are Olivia and Piper doing?" asked Emily as they headed to the baggage claim so they could get her bags

"Doing great." said Spencer as he scooped up Emily's bags for her

"Your parents and aunt arrived yet?" asked Emily

"Their plane lands in 20 minutes, and I could go for a cup of coffee because I have been up since midnight despite squeezing in two naps today." said Spencer

"I could go for one too, because coffee on the plane sucked." said Emily

Spencer and Emily headed over to a coffee shop that was by the gate that Diana, William, and Ethel were suppose to arrive at, and a few minutes later they were sitting down while drinking their coffee.

"So only Hotch knows that you got to hold your daughter for the first time today?" asked Emily

"Like I told you over 14 hours ago, they are in San Francisco including Garcia, and he doesn't want to distract everyone even though he sent me a text message after he got that photo." said Spencer

Spencer and Emily continued talking about what they have been doing the past three weeks until Spencer saw on the monitor that his parents and aunt's flight arrived.

"My parents and aunt's flight just landed." said Spencer, knowing that his mom is going to be anxious

"How about I go get your SUV while you greet your parents and aunt." said Emily

"That would be good because knowing my mom, she will want to go to the hospital before a nurse comes and takes her to her room that Dr. Harris arranged for her stay at Georgetown University Hospital." said Spencer as he handed Emily the keys to his SUV

A few minutes later Spencer was grinning when he saw his parents and aunt coming into the waiting room so he started approaching them.

"Hey." grinned Spencer as he walked over to his mom for he could kiss her cheek

"Are we heading to the hospital so I can meet my granddaughter?" asked Diana

"Yes we are, mom." said Spencer as he looped arms with his mother so they can head over to the baggage claim

"William showed me the pictures of Piper, and she is beautiful." said Diana

"I am glad that you are spending two weeks in the city that became my home for nearly nine years mom." said Spencer as William and Ethel grabbed the bags they brought with them

"I expect you to take me to a few of your favorite restaurants during the next two weeks because I don't want to stay at the hospital for the entire next two weeks." said Diana

"You will be spending some time at the house that Olivia and I were given by Derek, and I will show you some of my favorite places to go to in this city while Piper is sleeping." said Spencer

"Like where you play chess?" asked Diana, remembering the picture that Spencer sent her of him and Olivia at the park where they play chess

"We can go there, and I have a few places in mind that you will enjoy." said Spencer

William looked at his son.

"Dr. Norman thinks that as long as your mom takes her medication and remains stress free, she probably won't need a nurse to join in on the outings you take her." said William

"Good to know." said Spencer as they exited the airport where Emily was waiting for them with his SUV

"You should drive Spencer." said Emily and she tossed the keys to Spencer as his parents and aunt got into the SUV

* * *

Olivia grinned when she saw her husband enter the room with his parents, Aunt Ethel, and Emily.

"Where's Piper?" asked Spencer as he pecked his wife's lips

"The nurse took Piper to the nursery because she wanted me to get some sleep while you were gone." said Olivia as she pressed the call button to alert a nurse to bring Piper in

"How are you Olivia?" asked Diana as she walked over to her daughter in law and hugged her

"I am a bit sore, but Spencer, Dr. Carter, and the nurses have been taking good care of me." said Olivia as she embraced her mother in law before Spencer guided his mother to sit down in the chair closest to her

William greeted his daughter in law next by kissing her cheek.

"Thanks for the picture of Spencer holding my granddaughter." said William before allowing Ethel to greet her adoptive niece

"We will need to take a three generation picture today of you, Spencer, and Piper because it's Father's Day today."

"I was hoping that we would have that type of photo taken today." said William as Ethel greeted Olivia

Olivia looked at Emily after Ethel sat down.

"You can come hug me Emily, because I know that you wanted to have my in-laws greet me first." said Olivia

"Thanks for making Spencer call me first so I could find a flight right away." said Emily as she hugged Olivia

"You are now living in London, so I knew that you needed to pack a bag and find a flight." said Olivia

"When Garcia finds out that I am in town, I know that she is going to want me to stay with her because she has Sergio." said Emily

"And she will probably drag you, JJ, and me away for a spa day so I can have some have some much needed pampering after I am released from here." said Olivia

"It's a good thing I am spending a week in DC because you will need some pampering yourself while Spencer is on Piper duty." grinned Emily as a nurse brought Piper into the room

"I see that Piper has some visitors." said the nurse as she watched the new father gently pick up his daughter

"Mom, I want you to meet your granddaughter, Piper Ann Reid." said Spencer as he placed Piper in his mother's arms

Diana looked at her granddaughter who was staring at her.

"She's beautiful Spencer." said Diana as a few tears streamed down her face before motioning for William to take his granddaughter from her so she could wipe her tears away

William gently took Piper from Diana, and looked at his granddaughter who was staring at him.

"Piper is going to have our eyes because her eyes started out like our eyes." said William before passing his granddaughter to Ethel

Ethel looked at her great-niece's hair and then at Spencer and Olivia.

"She has Olivia's hair which curls like her father's hair does." said Ethel before Piper started whimpering and she passed her to Spencer

Spencer gently rubbed his daughter's back for a few seconds causing her to quiet down.

"Even though Piper is less than 12 hours old, she is already a daddy's girl." said Olivia

"But Piper still has to be held by her Aunt Emily." said Spencer as he passed Piper to her

Emily held Piper in her arms before looking at Spencer and Olivia.

"She's more beautiful in person." said Emily

William looked at Emily.

"Would you mind taking a three generation picture for me?" asked William

"Sure." said Emily

30 seconds later Spencer and William were sitting on the couch with Spencer holding Piper making sure that her face was showing, and a few seconds later Emily spoke up.

"Smile." said Emily

Spencer and William grinned for the camera as Piper gazed at Emily, and a few seconds later Emily showed William the picture.

"How's this?" asked Emily

"Perfect." said William as he sent the photo to a few coworkers from his law firm who made him promise that he sends a photo of his first grandchild before looking at his son. "You want a copy?"

"Yes, please." said Spencer who was already planning that he would display this photo on his desk at work

William quickly sent the photo to Spencer's phone as a nurse knocked on the door.

"I am here for Diana Reid." said the nurse

Diana looked up from her journal and spoke up.

"You're here to take me to my room." said Diana

"Yes I am because Dr. Norman called saying that it's time for you to take your medication." said the nurse

"I will come with you Diana, because I got the OK to spend the night with you." said William as he passed Piper back to Olivia

"Mom, I will come get you tomorrow so you can see Piper again." said Spencer as he kissed his mom's cheek

"You better Spencer, or I will scratch your eyes out." said Diana

Spencer looked at his father who was picking up Diana's belongings and pulled him into a hug.

"Happy Father's Day dad." said Spencer

"Holding my first grandchild for Father's Day is the best Father's Day gift I could ever ask for." said William as he let go of his son

"I consider Piper my first Father's Day present today too, dad." said Spencer

William smiled at his granddaughter before looking at his son.

"I'm proud of you Spencer." said William before leaving the room with Diana

* * *

An hour later Emily looked at Spencer.

"Can you drive me to your house so I can freshen up and get some sleep?" asked Emily

"Sure." said Spencer as he looked at his aunt "You want to come with?" asked Spencer

"I might as well go to your house because visiting hours are going to be over in two hours." said Ethel

"Let's get going then." said Spencer

* * *

Ethel looked at her nephew who was walking down the stairs after taking hers and William's bags up to the guest bedrooms.

"How about I work on cleaning this house and getting the fridge and freezer stocked with meals that you and Olivia can put in the oven when you two bring Piper home." said Ethel

"You don't have to Aunt Ethel." said Spencer

"I want to Spencer, because you and Olivia are going to be busy when she and Piper are discharged from the hospital." said Ethel

"OK." said Spencer, knowing that he really shouldn't argue with his aunt

"I can help you with cleaning Ethel." said Emily

"That would be nice of you Emily." said Ethel as she headed to the kitchen to see what leftovers were in the fridge that she could make

Einstein ran over to Emily who scooped him up.

"You've gotten a bit bigger since the last time I saw you Einstein." said Emily as she scratched behind Einstein's ears, causing him to lick her

Spencer looked at Emily who was petting Einstein.

"I am going to head back to the hospital." said Spencer

"Can't stay away from your two girls." teased Emily as she scratched behind Einstein's ears

Spencer laughed before speaking up.

"Just don't call the others saying that you are in town because Hotch didn't even tell them that Piper arrived this morning." said Spencer

"I do like the idea of surprising them." grinned Emily before looking at Einstein "Should we go for a walk after your daddy leaves?"

Einstein let out a bark.

"I take that as a yes." laughed Emily

"Einstein still occasionally has accidents, and he now can go up and down stairs so we have a baby gate to keep him from going upstairs." said Spencer as he pulled the gate out of its hiding place and set it up

"Get going Spencer because Ethel, Einstein, and I will be fine." said Emily as she pointed at the door

As Spencer was buckling himself in his SUV, his cellphone rang and he saw that it was Hotch.

"Hey Hotch." said Spencer

"I thought that I should let you know that we solved the case and we are flying home tonight." said Hotch

"That's great." said Spencer

"Based on the pictures that were sent to me, Piper is beautiful." said Hotch

"She is beautiful like her mommy." said Spencer

"How are Olivia and Piper doing?" asked Hotch as he looked at the picture of Spencer and Piper that Olivia sent to his iPad

"They are doing great." grinned Spencer

"Based on the sound of your voice, I can tell that you are grinning." said Hotch

"How can you tell?" asked Spencer

"I am a profiler like you and I can hear it in your voice." said Hotch

"You are right Hotch." laughed Spencer

"Do you think Olivia and Piper will be up for visitors tomorrow?" asked Hotch, knowing that's it's around 6 PM in DC

"Olivia and Piper should be up to more visitors tomorrow because Piper already got to meet her grandparents and great aunt. My dad is planning to stay with my mom and I just dropped my aunt off at my house because she is on a cooking and cleaning frenzy to make sure that everything is ready for when I am able to bring my two girls home. " said Spencer

"I will let you go so you can get back to your two girls, and I will try and tell the team that they need to finish their post case paperwork before coming to the hospital to meet Piper." said Hotch, knowing that everyone is going to want to go to the hospital instead of the office

"I will see you tomorrow Hotch." said Spencer as he exchanged goodbyes with Hotch before hanging up before seeing that he has a text message from Olivia and smiled when he saw a picture of his little girl

PIPER MISSES HER DADDY. ~ OR

Spencer quickly typed a reply.

JUST LEAVING THE HOUSE NOW. ~ SR

* * *

Spencer entered Olivia's hospital room, and smiled at the sight of Olivia feeding Piper.

"How's Einstein?" asked Olivia as she stroked her daughter's curly light brown hair

"He's excited to see Aunt Ethel and Emily." said Spencer

"Good." said Olivia

"Aunt Ethel and Emily are planning on cleaning the house for us and Aunt Ethel is planning on making meals that we can pull out of the fridge and freezer and pop into the oven." said Spencer

"They didn't have to." said Olivia as she gazed at her daughter

"Aunt Ethel said that when I bring you two girls home, we will be very busy." said Spencer

"When I see them tomorrow, I will give them my thanks." said Olivia as she looked at her husband "You want to burp Piper?"

"Sure." said Spencer as he grabbed the burp rag and placed it over his shoulder before gently taking Piper from Olivia's arms

A few minutes later he heard his daughter burp.

"That was a good one Piper." said Spencer as he adjusted his daughter in his arms

At that moment someone came into the room with a cart that held two trays and Olivia looked at her husband.

"I ordered some dinner for you since I had a feeling you didn't eat at home because you would quickly get back here." said Olivia as the two trays of food was placed on the rolling table in front of her

"Thanks." said Spencer as he placed his sleeping daughter in the crib that was provided for her

"How about we quickly eat before you get into some pajamas." said Olivia

"That would be a good idea." said Spencer, knowing that they need to start a routine with their daughter as soon as possible

"Let's eat because I am hungry." said Olivia as she started digging into her food

"I do prefer your cooking over hospital food Livy, but I know that I should eat what you ordered for me." said Spencer as he started eating his food

* * *

Spencer walked out of his wife's private bathroom and the nurse who was checking on Piper looked at Spencer and Olivia.

"I will let you two deal with Piper tonight, but as you two sleep I will occasionally check on her." said the nurse before leaving Olivia's room

Spencer looked at Olivia who was making room for him.

"How should we do this?" asked Spencer

"As you were taking your dad and aunt to our place, Dr. Carter came to check on me and told me that the position we napped in earlier would be fine." said Olivia

Spencer used his eidetic memory to flash back to earlier before getting into bed with Olivia.

"Hopefully we will get a few hours of sleep before Piper wakes us up." said Spencer as he got himself comfortable in the hospital bed with Olivia before speaking up "Ready for our first night as parents?"

"Yes." smiled Olivia as Spencer placed his glasses on the night stand before closing his own eyes

* * *

Meanwhile on the BAU jet, Morgan looked at Hotch knowing that Hotch talked to Reid earlier.

"Do you know why Reid hasn't answered any of our phone calls except yours today?" asked Morgan

Hotch sighed knowing that everyone is worried since they haven't heard from Spencer or Olivia at all, but he knew that this would be the perfect time to tell everyone the good news as he grabbed his tablet.

"The reason why I told you guys that he and Olivia are unreachable at the moment is because of this." said Hotch as he emailed the photo that Spencer emailed to his tablet to his teammates "Look at your tablets."

"Oh my god!" squealed Garcia as she looked at the picture of Spencer and Olivia gazing at Piper

"I guess some little girl didn't want to wait any longer to meet her mommy and daddy." said Rossi

"Why didn't you tell us that my goddaughter came." said JJ as she looked at the man she is sharing godparent duties with

"I didn't want you all distracted while on this case. Lives were at stake. None of the other teams were available so it was up to us to solve this case." said Hotch

"I want to go to the hospital when we land." said Garcia

"When I talked to Reid over an hour ago, I told him that we would visit tomorrow because visiting hours in the maternity ward are over." said Hotch

"I just can't believe that the kid has a kid." said Morgan as he looked at the photo of Spencer kissing his daughter's forehead

"I really can't consider Reid a kid anymore, even though he looked like one when he was a 21 year old cadet in the academy." said Hotch

"I agree, but on my first day out of retirement he was wearing a Frankenstein mask and had a noose around his neck." said Rossi

"He actually scared me that day." said Morgan remembering how Emily and other agents and civilian staff who witnessed Reid scaring him were laughing

Garcia looked at JJ.

"Remember when Reid did physics magic for us, and the film canister ended up hitting Emily on the head?" asked Garcia

JJ started giggling at the memory before speaking.

"Emily ended up asking him to show her, but it ended up landing by Hotch's foot." said JJ

"I remember that day." said Hotch, remembering that day was a few months before the case that changed Reid's life

"You showed your rare sense of humor that day." said Garcia, remembering the comment that Emily made about Hotch's sense of humor

"I tend to only show my rare sense of humor when it comes to Reid, but I once commented to him that I am a bit of a nerd too." said Hotch causing everyone to laugh

"I miss Emily." sighed Garcia

"Do you think Spence contacted her yet?" asked JJ

"I think he probably did because Reid told me that Emily made him promise to call her when Olivia was in labor so she could get a plane ticket." said Morgan, remembering how sad Reid was when Emily told them that she is taking that position before asking everyone if she can talk to Reid in private

Garcia used her laptop to track Emily's phone and squealed when she noticed the location.

"She's currently at Reid's house right now." said Garcia, causing everyone to start talking

Hotch looked at his agents and spoke.

"Let's leave Emily and the Reid family alone until tomorrow because we still have our post case paperwork to do, but I already cleared it with Strauss that we all have tomorrow afternoon off so we can meet Piper." said Hotch before adding "We have about three hours until we land, so I recommend that we all get some rest." causing everyone to scatter about and Garcia and JJ decided to sit with each other for some girl talk while Morgan listened to his music

Rossi got up and fixed himself and Hotch a glass of scotch before sitting by Hotch who was smiling at a photo of Spencer and Olivia gazing lovingly at their daughter.

"I really like this picture because with how happy Spencer and Olivia are in it, because Piper makes their lives complete." whispered Hotch as he showed Rossi the picture before taking the glass of scotch

"Having children does help make your life complete." said Rossi as he took a sip of his scotch

"With Reid getting married over nine months ago, turning 30 over eight months ago, and holding his newborn daughter for the first time today makes me kind of feel old." whispered Hotch

"I feel the same way too Aaron." said Rossi

* * *

At 5 AM Spencer and Olivia woke up to crying and Spencer extracted himself from Olivia and climbed out of the hospital bed. He gently scooped up his daughter as a nurse came in.

"It turns out that you two have one quiet daughter because she didn't make a peep when I checked on you three earlier." said the nurse as Olivia woke up

"My parents said I was like that too." said Spencer as he passed Piper to Olivia

"Ready for our second day as parents?" asked Olivia as she started feeding her daughter

"Ready as I will ever be, because Piper gets to meet her adoptive aunts and uncles after lunchtime today." said Spencer as he looked at his phone, seeing that he has a text from Hotch about the time that everyone is planning to visit


	2. Piper Meets the BAU

Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds

 _A/N: Shout out to tannerose5, Hippichic81, Chermayne, Mrs. JaganshiReidofHufflepuff, southernbeauty13, and OhSnapItsMadison for reviewing chapter one._

* * *

Spencer's cellphone vibrated and he saw a text message from Hotch.

ARE OLIVIA AND PIPER AWAKE RIGHT NOW? ~ AH

Spencer quickly typed a reply.

YES THEY ARE. ~ SR

A few seconds later Hotch replied.

WE WILL BE THERE IN A MINUTE. ~ AH

Spencer looked at Olivia.

"My teammates are here." said Spencer

A few seconds later there was a knock on the door.

"Is there room for seven more?" asked JJ as she walked in

"Come on in guys." said Spencer

At that moment Hotch, Gideon, Rossi, Strauss, Morgan, and Garcia came into the room and Spencer was being either greeted with hugs or handshakes from everyone before he sat down on the bed by Olivia and wrapped an arm around her, causing Olivia to snuggle into his side.

"Where's Piper?" asked Garcia

"She is in the nursery right now because she's sleeping." said Olivia as he pressed the call button to have a nurse bring in Piper

JJ looked at Olivia who was happy to be snuggling with her husband.

"So how was going through labor?" asked JJ

"Like I delivered a bowling ball." said Olivia causing some laughter in the room before adding "Spencer supported me through the entire thing when it came to wiping sweat off my forehead, feeding me ice cubes, and massaging my lower back like he was taught do at the Lamaze classes we attended so we could get through a natural birth without me getting medication." said Olivia

"I did tell Olivia that she could have an epidural if she wanted one." said Spencer as he played with Olivia's ponytail

"Which birthing position did you two use?" asked JJ

"I sat on a birthing stool which gave me the opportunity to lean back and rest against Spencer between contractions." said Olivia

"Too much information." said Morgan

Spencer looked at Morgan with a smirk on his face.

"Just wait until you have kids of your own because you and your partner will be given options about what birthing position you and she will decide to use during a natural birth." said Spencer

Olivia looked into her husband's eyes.

"At least the position we used helped you escape a broken hand." said Olivia

"But waking up to you squeezing my hand when you had a contraction did hurt a little bit." said Spencer

"Let me make it feel better." said Olivia as she took her husband's hand and kissed it, causing chuckles to erupt around the room "Feel better now?"

"Yep." said Spencer before pecking Olivia on the lips

"You two are so cute together." said Strauss

At that moment a nurse came into the room with Piper.

"Seems like Piper has some visitors." said the nurse before looking at Olivia "Dr. Carter will be here in two hours to check you and Piper over because of you being discharged tomorrow."

"OK." said Olivia

"Just press the call button if you need anything." said the nurse before walking out of the room

Hotch looked at Spencer and Olivia, and when he was sure that Spencer was making eye contact with him he spoke.

"We won't stay too long." said Hotch

Olivia looked at JJ, knowing that everyone is wanting to hold Piper before they are kicked out.

"JJ, would you like to hold your goddaughter first?" asked Olivia

"I would love to." said JJ as she gently extracted Piper from her crib and she looked at Piper "She's beautiful." said JJ before passing Piper to Garcia who was motioning for her to pass Piper over

"She's so cute and I can't wait to spoil her when she gets old enough to open presents." said Garcia

"She's already spoiled." said Olivia as she laid her head on her husband's shoulder

Garcia then passed Piper to Morgan.

"Watch the head Derek." said Garcia

Morgan looked at Piper and then at Spencer.

"With how beautiful she is, we are definitely going to have to keep boys away from her." said Morgan before passing Piper to Rossi

Rossi looked at Piper and spoke up.

"It looks like Piper has a perfect mixture from both parents." said Rossi

"When my parents got to meet their granddaughter yesterday, my dad said that Piper is going to have my eyes." said Spencer

Rossi then passed Piper to Gideon who looked at Piper.

"These are the type of happy endings that I always hope for." said Gideon

Gideon passed Piper to Strauss who looked at Spencer and Olivia before looking at Piper.

"It seems like she has Olivia's hair color while her hair curls like her father's hair." said Strauss before passing Piper to Hotch

"You are definitely going to have the BAU wrapped around your finger, and Jack is going to love you." said Hotch as he gently rocked Piper

Spencer looked at Hotch.

"Where are Jack and Henry?" asked Spencer

"We decided that Jack and Henry could probably wait to meet Piper until you guys are out of the hospital." said Hotch

"Good idea." said Olivia

"And I am hoping that you two will allow me to make all of us dinner at your house after you three get settled in at home for a few days." said Rossi

"We would love that because I have to take it easy for a few days." said Olivia

"At least we have a big enough backyard for Jack and Henry to run around in with Einstein while Piper has to stay inside." said Spencer

"Exactly like we planned." said JJ

"Apparently my Aunt Ethel is preparing meals for us that we can easily pop into the oven right now." said Spencer

"I was planning to do that too." said Rossi

"You don't have to, Dave." said Olivia

"You are part of my family, and I want to make sure that you two have healthy meals that don't take too long to cook without having to spend some time prepping the meal." said Rossi

At that moment Piper started whimpering and Hotch passed her to Spencer, causing Piper to quiet down instantly when she knew that she was in her daddy's arms.

"Seems like she wanted her daddy." said Hotch with a rare smile on his face

"Piper is already a daddy's girl." said Olivia as she winked at her husband when she noticed that Piper wrapped one of her fingers around Spencer's finger while her IV free hand held Spencer's other hand

Morgan looked at Spencer's hands realizing that both of his hands were occupied by either Olivia and Piper.

"Seems like you have two girls wrapped around your finger." teased Morgan

Spencer smiled at his wife before smiling down at his daughter and spoke up.

"I don't mind that at all." said Spencer as he gently stroked his daughter's cheek, causing Piper to make a cooing noise at him

At that moment Dr. Carter knocked on the door and she looked at Olivia.

"I got called in because another new mother is in labor, so I need to do yours and Piper's exam before it's time for me to head into the delivery room." said Dr. Carter

"OK." said Olivia as Spencer got off the bed

Hotch looked at Reid and spoke up.

"Come get something to eat with us in the cafeteria." said Hotch

"OK." said Spencer as he passed Piper to Dr. Carter who placed Piper in her crib before looking at Olivia.

"I will be back when you give me the all clear." said Spencer as he kissed Olivia's cheek before leaving the room with his teammates.

"Please close the door Spencer." said Dr. Carter

Spencer closed the door before he looked at his teammates, Strauss, and Gideon

"I have a meeting to get to in two hours so I am going to head back." said Strauss

"I will come with you Erin, because I have a class to teach." said Gideon

A few minutes later Spencer was in the cafeteria eating a late lunch with JJ, Morgan, Garcia, Rossi, and Hotch.

"Have you guys alerted everyone that Piper arrived?" asked Spencer

"When I showed a picture to Jack this morning, he said to tell you that Piper's pretty." said Hotch

"Will told me to tell you that Piper is beautiful, and Henry wants to have a play date with her this weekend." chuckled JJ

"It's going to be a few weeks before Piper will be able to go out in public." said Spencer

"That's what I told Henry, but he said that he could go to your house for a play date." laughed JJ

"Did Piper wake you and Olivia up last night at all?" asked Hotch

"Olivia and I fell asleep around 9:00 with Piper sleeping in her crib in Olivia's hospital room, and Piper didn't wake Livy and me up until 5 AM because she was hungry." said Spencer

"So you and Olivia managed to get eight hours of sleep." said Hotch

"According to the nurse who came into the room when Piper's crying woke us up, Piper didn't even make a sound when she came into the room to check on her while Olivia and I slept." said Spencer

"I am so jealous because Henry was the opposite of Piper." said JJ

"My dad said that I was quiet like Piper." said Spencer

"Seems like Piper is going to be a genius like her parents." said Garcia

"Well hopefully Piper won't want to skip as many grades like I did." said Spencer while thinking about the bullying he went through

"Piper will have the support system she needs Spence." said JJ

"I know." said Spencer

"If Piper ends up getting bullied like you did, I know that you are going to take action right away so it doesn't get too severe." said Morgan

Hotch looked at Reid, deciding to bring up his paternity leave.

"I am giving you strict orders to stay away from headquarters until your first day back at work." said Hotch

Spencer nodded before Garcia spoke up.

"Wheres Emily?" asked Garcia before adding "I know that she is in town."

Spencer shook his head, knowing that Garcia probably tracked Emily's phone.

"When I talked to her an hour ago, she was helping my aunt with cleaning." said Spencer

JJ and Garcia looked at each other.

"We should go help them out before Spence gets to take Olivia and Piper home tomorrow." said JJ

"While helping them we would get to catch up with Emily." said Garcia

"So you two are leaving now?" asked Spencer

"Yes." said Garcia as she and JJ got up

As JJ and Garcia left the room, Hotch looked at Spencer.

"Where are your parents?" asked Hotch

"My dad checked my mom out of here for a few hours and they decided to go to one of the bookstores that I showed my dad." said Spencer

"I bet you are happy that they are getting along now." said Rossi

"I actually am glad that they are getting along." smiled Spencer

"Have you and Olivia talked about what to do for Thanksgiving and Christmas this year, even though it's the middle of June right now?" asked Rossi

"Piper will be five months old during Thanksgiving, so Olivia and I decided that we will spend Thanksgiving here in DC and Christmas and New Years in Vegas." said Spencer

At that moment Spencer's phone vibrated and he saw a text from Olivia.

DR. CARTER JUST LEFT THE ROOM, SO YOU CAN COME BACK NOW. ~ OR

Morgan noticed the smile on Spencer's face.

"You got the all clear?" asked Morgan

"Yep." said Spencer

Hotch, Rossi, and Morgan exchanged looks before Hotch spoke.

"We are going to let you get back to your wife and daughter." said Hotch

"And let us know when you and Olivia are ready to have all of us come over." said Rossi

"OK." said Spencer

* * *

The next morning, Spencer drove Olivia and Piper home. When they walked into the house Einstein came running to Olivia and tilted his head when he noticed that his mommy's big belly was now flat instead of rounded.

"How about you get on the couch while I bring Piper to you." suggested Spencer

"OK." said Olivia as she got settled on the couch and a minute later Spencer brought Piper to her before sitting next to Olivia.

Einstein jumped onto the couch and sat on his daddy's lap.

"Einstein, this is Piper Ann Reid." said Spencer as he scratched behind Einstein's ears

Einstein looked at Piper and sniffed her before giving Piper a kiss.

"Seems like he likes her." said Spencer as he petted Einstein

"Yes he does." said Olivia

A few minutes later, Ethel came into the living room and looked at Spencer and Olivia.

"Emily is staying with Penelope for the rest of the week." said Ethel

"I had a feeling that Garcia would force Emily to stay with her." said Spencer

"How about I watch Piper while you two take showers and get into comfortable clothing." said Ethel

"OK." said Spencer as he gently placed his sleeping daughter in her bassinet

"Thank you for helping us out Ethel." said Olivia as Spencer helped her get up

"Not a problem Olivia, because you became a niece to me when you married my only nephew." said Ethel

* * *

After a tiring day of settling in, Spencer and Olivia looked at their sleeping daughter before looking at each other.

"We might as well get into bed ourselves, just in case Piper gets hungry or needs a diaper change later." said Olivia as she rested her head on Spencer's shoulder

"Yeah we should." said Spencer as he led Olivia out of Piper's nursery while he held the baby monitor

* * *

Four hours later, Spencer woke up to hearing his daughter's whimpering through the baby monitor, causing Olivia to wake up.

"Let me get her because you woke up the last time." said Spencer as he got out of bed

A few seconds later Spencer entered his daughter's nursery, and he lowered the railing so he could get Piper out of her crib.

"What's wrong Piper?" asked Spencer as he rubbed his daughter's back, causing her to quiet down instantly "I guess you wanted to be held by me." said Spencer as he settled into the rocking chair

Piper cooed at her daddy causing Spencer to shake his head before he started singing Daughters by John Mayer to Piper, not realizing that Olivia was standing in the doorway with tears streaming down her face.

Spencer looked down at his daughter when he finished singing, and he noticed that she was asleep.

"I guess singing Daughters to you can get you to sleep." said Spencer

At that moment Olivia decided to alert her husband of her presence.

"I think so too Spencer, and it seems like we definitely have a daddy's girl on our hands." whispered Olivia as she kissed his cheek

A few minutes later Spencer and Olivia were back in their bedroom, and Olivia looked at Spencer.

"I just wonder how am I going to do it when Piper wants to be held by you during the night since you go back to work in a month." said Olivia

"Just wear something that has my scent, and I will make sure to record me singing some songs or reading some books out loud for when I am unreachable." said Spencer

"We should get some sleep, just in case Piper wakes us up in a few hours." said Olivia as she rested her head on Spencer's chest

* * *

The following Sunday, Spencer's cellphone vibrated and he saw a text message from Hotch.

ARE YOU AND OLIVIA UP FOR A TEAM DINNER AT YOUR HOUSE THIS EVENING? ~ AH

Spencer looked at Olivia who was nursing Piper.

"Should we have everyone over for dinner this evening?" asked Spencer

"We should have everyone over so we can introduce Piper to Jack and Henry." said Olivia

"At least I pumped some milk earlier just in case you or anyone else wants to feed her." said Olivia

"And I am grateful you did so you don't have to wake up every time Piper wants a late night snack." said Spencer

* * *

Spencer opened the door allowing his teammates, Will, Jack, Beth, and Henry into the house.

"Olivia is feeding Piper upstairs right now." said Spencer as everyone walked into the living room

"Can I go up there?" asked Jack

"Not yet bud, but when Olivia is done feeding Piper you can meet her when they come downstairs." said Spencer

"OK." said Jack before looking at Spencer "Why isn't Aunt Olivia feeding Piper down here?"

Hotch decided to answer his son's question because he knew why Olivia was nursing Piper.

"Sometimes mothers need to feed a baby in private because Piper can't eat solid food like us right now." said Hotch

"OK daddy." said Jack

"Where's your aunt?" asked Rossi

"Aunt Ethel went out to eat with my parents." said Spencer

"So how was your first week with Piper?" asked Hotch

"Piper is pretty much a quiet baby even though she will wake us up three times during the night, and I don't allow Olivia to get out of bed each time." said Spencer before telling everyone about his daughter's antics from the past week

A few minutes later Olivia came downstairs with Piper in her arms.

"Someone wants her daddy to burp her." said Olivia

Spencer shook his head before grabbing a burp rag and putting it over his shoulder before Olivia passed him his daughter. As Spencer sat down to burp Piper, Jack and Henry sat on either side of him.

"She's so little in person." said Jack as he watched his Uncle Spencer burp Piper

"You started out that little too, bud." said Spencer

A minute later Piper let out a burp causing Jack and Henry to giggle before Spencer shifted Piper in his arms so Jack and Henry could get a better view of her.

"She's prettier in person." said Jack

"Would you like to hold her?" asked Spencer

"Yes Uncle Spencer." said Jack

A minute later Jack was holding Piper and she was gripping his finger.

"Hi Piper." said Jack

Piper cooed at Jack before Jack started talking.

"When you're bigger I am going to show you some magic tricks that your daddy has been teaching me." said Jack

Piper started whimpering when she heard the word daddy and Spencer gently took Piper from Jack. A few seconds later she stopped whimpering, causing Olivia to shake her head as she looked at Spencer's teammates, Beth, and Will.

"Sometimes she will cry or whimper because she wants to be held by her daddy." said Olivia

"Henry was like that with me too." said JJ

"If Piper wakes us up at night because she wants her daddy, there is one song that Spencer will sing to get Piper to sleep in a few minutes." said Olivia

"What song?" asked Garcia as she watched Spencer talk to Piper

"Daughters by John Mayer." said Olivia

"That's a good song." said Garcia as she watched Spencer pass Piper to Henry

"I'm holding Piper." beamed Henry

"Be careful Henry." said JJ

"I will mommy." said Henry

Jack looked at Spencer.

"Can I go into the backyard with Einstein?" asked Jack

"Yes you can." said Spencer before looking at Henry "You want to go play with Einstein too?" asked Spencer

"Yes." said Henry

Spencer gently took Piper from Henry before Henry got off the couch so he could go outside with Jack and Einstein and Morgan looked at Spencer.

"May I hold her?" asked Morgan

Spencer shook his head, knowing that everyone is going to fight over who gets to hold Piper first.

* * *

One week later Spencer dropped his parents and aunt off at the airport, and he noticed a text message from Garcia after he got into his SUV.

THE OTHERS ARE ON THEIR WAY BACK FROM SAN DIEGO, AND I WAS HOPING THAT YOU COULD BRING PIPER TO THE BAU FOR HER FIRST VISIT. ~ PG

Spencer quickly typed a reply.

LET ME TALK TO OLIVIA FIRST. ~ SR

10 minutes later Spencer walked into the house and Spencer found Olivia in Piper's nursery feeding her.

"The others are on their way back from San Diego, and Garcia was hoping that we could take Piper to the BAU." said Spencer as he leaned against Piper's changing table

"How about you take her while I get a few hours of sleep." said Olivia

"OK." said Spencer as he noticed the Olivia was done feeding Piper "May I burp her?" asked Spencer

"Sure." said Olivia

* * *

Spencer was pushing Piper's stroller into headquarters in Quantico and the security guard looked at him.

"Your daughter's beautiful, Dr. Reid." said the security guard

"Yeah she is." said Spencer before he started pushing Piper's stroller towards the elevators

As Spencer and Piper were heading towards the elevators, Spencer heard his name being called.

"Agent Reid." said John

Spencer stopped pushing his daughter's stroller so he could turn around and look at John.

"What brings you here, sir?" asked Spencer

"I was on my way to meet with your section chief." said John before looking at Spencer "I thought you are on paternity leave for two more weeks?" asked John

"I am taking Piper on her first visit to the BAU because my teammates are on their way back from California." said Spencer

"I might as well walk with you for I can get a glimpse at your baby girl." said John

As Spencer, John, and Piper got into the elevators, John looked down at Piper.

"You are one beautiful baby girl, Piper." said John before straightening up to his full height as the elevator opened

"Olivia wanted me to thank you for the flowers that you and your wife sent to us." said Spencer as they walked out of the elevator

"My wife insisted that we send you and your wife flowers." said John

At that moment Strauss walked over to them.

"I see that Piper is having her first visit to the BAU." said Strauss as she smiled at Piper who was in her stroller

"Garcia sent me a text after I dropped my parents and aunt off at the airport, asking me if I could bring Piper here for a visit." said Spencer

"You better go introduce your daughter to other agents and civilian staff before Garcia wants to hold her." said Strauss as she walked away with John

As Spencer pushed Piper's stroller into the BAU, Anderson spotted Spencer first.

"I thought that you are on leave for two more weeks?" asked Anderson

"Piper needed to see the BAU for the first time even though Hotch gave me strict orders to stay away from here until my paternity leave is over." said Spencer

Anderson looked down at Piper who was staring at him.

"May I hold your daughter?" asked Anderson

"Sure." said Spencer as he removed his daughter from her stroller and gently passed her to Anderson

"Hello Piper." said Anderson as he gazed down at Piper who was staring at him as a few other agents and civilian staff walked over so they could see Piper and say hi to Spencer

Spencer looked at where his desk was. His eyes went wide when he noticed a framed photo that was taken shortly after Piper's birth.

"When was that photo placed on my desk?" asked Spencer

"Garcia put it on your desk a few days after Piper's birth as a way to announce that your daughter arrived." said Anderson as he passed Piper back to her father

A few minutes later Garcia entered the bullpen.

"The others are going to be here in 10 minutes and I want to hold her before the others fight over holding her." said Garcia

"OK." said Spencer

"Where is Olivia?" asked Garcia as she pushed Piper's stroller into her lair

"Olivia is at home getting some sleep since she gets less sleep than me because of nursing Piper in the middle of the night." said Spencer

"Makes sense." said Garcia as she motioned for Spencer to hand Piper over

"Plus Olivia placed some milk that she pumped earlier this morning into Piper's diaper bag just in case she gets hungry." said Spencer as he slung Piper's diaper bag over his shoulder before they left Garcia's lair

"How bad was the case?" asked Spencer

"It was bad and that was why I asked you to bring Piper here, so some happy memories can happen in the conference room again." said Garcia as they walked into the conference room

"It's like when JJ was here with Henry over three years ago after a case in California." said Spencer

"We do need good memories in this room." said Garcia before she passed Piper to Spencer

"I know." said Spencer as Piper started whimpering making him realize that Piper's hungry

Garcia looked at Spencer.

"Is she hungry?" asked Garcia

"Olivia fed her three and a half hours ago so she probably needs a snack." said Spencer as he rubbed Piper's lower back in a calming motion

"Want me to heat it up that bottle for you?" asked Garcia as she located the bottle in Piper's diaper bag

"Yes, please." said Spencer

Garcia left the room and two minutes later Spencer heard Hotch's voice.

"I gave you strict orders to stay away from here until your first day back from paternity leave." said Hotch

Spencer turned around and grinned when he saw Hotch, JJ, Morgan, Rossi, and Gideon enter the room.

"I called him." said Garcia as she entered the room with Piper's bottle "I already checked the temperature on my skin and it's just right." said Garcia as she passed Spencer the warm bottle

Hotch shook his head before JJ spoke up.

"May I feed my goddaughter?" asked JJ

Hotch looked over at Reid and spoke up.

"Reid, can I talk to you in my office for a few minutes?" asked Hotch

Spencer nodded at his boss before kissing his daughter's forehead and speaking to her.

"Daddy has to go away for a few minutes, but I will be back." said Spencer before passing Piper to JJ, who started feeding her right away

A minute later Spencer was sitting on the couch in Hotch's office, and Hotch spoke as soon as Reid made eye contact with him.

"Are you sure that you will be ready to come back here in two weeks?" asked Hotch

"I'm not really sure because being a family man is new to me and I really enjoy having two girls, even though Piper still sleeps a lot." said Spencer

"Spencer, I was in your foot steps after the birth of Jack, and eventually you will learn to cope." said Hotch

"Even if it means calling Olivia more like you did with Haley when you returned to work after Jack was born?" asked Spencer as he looked at a picture that was taken after Jack's birth

"Exactly." said Hotch while giving Reid a small smile

"Have you found Emily's replacement yet?" asked Spencer

"Yes I have, and I think you will work well with her." said Hotch

"Do I know him or her?" asked Spencer

"You know her." said Hotch

Spencer quickly thought about the female agents he has worked with before, and he knew that there was one agent who is familiar with profiling.

"If there's a female agent that you know I will work well with, it's definitely Alex Blake." grinned Spencer

"Correct." said Hotch

"Have you told the others yet?" asked Spencer

"I was going to wait until your first day back, but with you being here right now I wanted to tell you first because of how you are with change." said Hotch

"I appreciate it Hotch, and I will have no problem working with Alex, even though it might be hard for Garcia to get used to her." smiled Spencer

"Alex won't be starting until Morgan and Garcia are in London visiting Emily while Morgan is on temporary duty." said

"So I get to adjust to being a federal agent and a father for a week before Morgan and Garcia leave for London." said Spencer

"With how you are adjusting to married life, I don't think you'll have a problem adjusting to being a family man." said Hotch

"Even though cases dealing with kids will be harder for me now." sighed Spencer

At that moment Spencer and Hotch heard Morgan and JJ arguing about who gets to burp Piper, causing both of them to laugh.

"I better go liberate my daughter from our arguing teammates because it seems like everyone is fighting over who gets to burp her and I don't want anyone pulling their guns out." laughed Spencer

"May I burp her?" asked Hotch as they walked to the conference room

"Yes." said Spencer as they entered the conference room, shaking his head at the argument that was happening between Morgan and JJ

"Well I'm her godmother." said JJ

"But you got to feed her." said Morgan

Hotch cleared his throat causing everyone to look at him.

"Reid already gave me permission to burp my goddaughter." said Hotch

"She is almost done with her bottle." said JJ

"Just take your time JJ." said Hotch as Spencer handed him Piper's burping rag from the diaper bag

A minute later Hotch was burping his goddaughter and he looked at Reid.

"You better keep on sending us pictures during the next two weeks of your leave." said Hotch

"So Garcia can continue to add new photos to my desk?" asked Spencer

"You saw that when other agents were meeting Piper?" asked Garcia

"I appreciate you displaying those pictures for me because some of those photos I was already planning on displaying." said Spencer

At that moment Piper let out a burp and Hotch shifted her in his arms.

"Before Reid goes home, I thought that I should tell you that Emily's replacement is starting at the beginning of next month." said Hotch

"Who?" asked Morgan

Spencer decided to answer.

"Dr. Alex Blake who is a professor at Georgetown when not working at the Washington Field office in DC." said Spencer

"Wasn't she at Olivia's baby shower?" asked JJ

"Yep." said Spencer while popping the P

Garcia looked at Spencer noticing the excitement in his eyes.

"You seem happy about her taking Emily's place." said Garcia

"I have known Alex for over six years because I guest lectured for her forensic linguistics classes in the past and sometimes I help her at the Washington Field office in DC." said Spencer

At that moment Piper let out a yawn.

"I guess I should take her home because it's her nap time." said Spencer

Hotch passed Piper to her father before speaking up.

"Now don't come back until your leave is officially over." said Hotch

"I promise." said Spencer

* * *

Olivia came downstairs to find Spencer cooking dinner and Piper sleeping in her bassinet that Spencer brought into the kitchen and she spoke up.

"Why didn't you wake me up when you got home?" asked Olivia as she walked over to her sleeping daughter and stroked Piper's cheek

"You needed some sleep." said Spencer as he scrambled some eggs

"What are you making?" asked Olivia

"I am making some omelets and a salad for dinner, and I should be done in a few minutes." said Spencer

"So I should sit down?" asked Olivia

"Yep." said Spencer

A few minutes later Spencer and Olivia were eating dinner, and Olivia looked at Spencer.

"How was Piper's first visit to the BAU?" asked Olivia

"It went pretty well even though Morgan and JJ were arguing over who gets to burp Piper and Hotch ended up burping her." said Spencer

Olivia laughed before speaking up.

"We should probably quickly eat before I have to feed Piper." said Olivia

"I fed and burped her before I started cooking dinner." said Spencer

"So a diaper change is next?" asked Olivia

"Pretty much." said Spencer

"So diaper change, bath time, and putting Piper down for the night is what's left of Piper's day before we have some Mommy and Daddy time." said Olivia

"Pretty much, even though Piper will wake us up a few times." said Spencer

"With how Piper is pretty much a quiet baby, I don't think I'll have a problem when you return to work." said Olivia

"I hate it that you don't go back to work until classes start up again." pouted Spencer

"But Alex will keep my company." said Olivia

"Not as often as the previous school year though." said Spencer

"Did you talk to her?" asked Olivia, remembering that Alex is in FBI agent like her husband

"When I took Piper with me for a surprise visit to the BAU, Hotch told us that Alex is taking Emily's place next month, but she will still teach one class at Georgetown." said Spencer

"I will miss seeing her everyday, but I can tell that you are happy about getting to work with her everyday." said Olivia

"Alex will be a great addition to the team because she has worked with Hotch and Rossi before and you already know how I met her." said Spencer

"Aaron thought that she could help you with lecturing in front of college students." said Olivia

At that moment Piper started crying and Olivia looked at her husband.

"How about you give her a bath and change her diaper while I clean up." said Olivia

"Deal." said Spencer as he got up from the dining room table and scooped up his daughter from her bassinet "Let's get you cleaned up and into some warm pajamas."

* * *

As Spencer and Olivia got into bed, Olivia looked at her husband.

"It's our first night alone in the house with Piper." said Olivia as she got under the covers

"Based on how we did with little help from Dad and Aunt Ethel, we should be fine because we have friends who can help us." said Spencer

"We should get some sleep before Piper wakes us up." said Olivia

"Goodnight Livy." said Spencer as he removed his glasses and placed them on his nightstand

"Good night Spencer." said Olivia as she curled into her husband's side


	3. Spencer Returns to Work

Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds

 _A/N: Shout out to OhSnapItsMadison for being the 10th reviewer, and also a shout out to Hippichic81, Chermayne, Mrs. JaganshiReidofHufflepuff, southernbeauty13, and tannerose5 for reviewing chapter 2._

* * *

"What's our agenda today?" asked Olivia as she fixed herself a cup of tea

"Today's agenda involves me having a physical and eye exam done." said Spencer as he poured himself a cup of coffee

"May Piper and I come with you to your appointments today?" asked Olivia as she passed Spencer the maple syrup

"Dealing with cabin fever?" teased Spencer as he poured some maple syrup on his pancakes

"Yes." said Olivia

"It would be nice for the three of us to get out of the house as a family, and maybe we can go to a nice cafe for lunch." said Spencer

"At least I pumped milk last night before we went to bed." said Olivia before continuing "So are you going to be wearing your glasses full time or still wear your contacts from time to time?"

"My glasses." said Spencer as he pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose

"I do prefer you wearing your glasses." said Olivia

"Why?" asked Spencer

"I hate it when you sleep while wearing your contact lenses, but you should still carry them to be safe." said Olivia

Spencer looked at the clock, realizing that they have an hour before his first appointment.

"We have an hour before we have to get to the doctor's office for my physical." said Spencer

"Do you think I can sit in even though Piper will be with us in the room?" asked Olivia

"You just want to make sure that I don't lie to my doctor." teased Spencer

"I just want to watch you remove your shirt when it gets to that point in your appointment." said Olivia sweetly

Spencer shook his head as he finished up eating his breakfast.

* * *

"How are your migraines, but not counting the ones you had during the three cases of strep throat you've had since March?" asked Dr. Black

"I haven't had one since my first out of state case since my sabbatical ended last year, but I have been exercising when my unpredictable work schedule allows me. And I have cleaned up my diet big time." said Spencer

"Including dairy?" asked Dr. Black

"I made my husband switch to a lactose free diet when he is home, and when it comes to grocery shopping I make sure that I go through certain aisles at the store." said Olivia

Dr. Black looked at Olivia and spoke up.

"Good." said Dr. Black

"And I still carry medication to take when I am out of state for work, and my coworkers make sure that I don't eat too much dairy." said Spencer

Dr. Black nodded before getting onto the topic about Spencer's sleeping habits.

"I was going to ask you about your sleeping habits, but I am not going to ask at all even though the dark circles under your eyes are pretty much gone." said Dr. Black as he smiled at Piper who was in Olivia's arms "She's a beautiful baby."

"Thanks." said Spencer and Olivia in unison

"I don't let my wife wake up for every feeding and diaper change during the past three weeks since Piper's birth." said Spencer

"But I will be waking up every time when Spencer goes back to work on Monday." finished Olivia

Dr. Black looked at Spencer.

"Take off your shirt so I can check your heart and lungs." said Dr. Black

Spencer followed his doctors orders while Olivia let out a quiet wolf whistle, causing Dr. Black to chuckle as Spencer's face turned red.

* * *

Dr. Woodson looked at Spencer after typing in the prescription Spencer needed for his eyes.

"So during the past year did wearing your glasses or contact lenses help make your migraines less intense?" asked Dr. Woodson

"My glasses." answered Spencer

"You still occasionally wear your contact lenses?" asked Dr. Woodson

"I actually stopped wearing my contact lenses because I consider them torture devices that will pop out when not inserted properly, and my wife doesn't appreciate it when I sleep while wearing them." said Spencer

Dr. Woodson chuckled at Spencer's answer, knowing that some of his patients are like Spencer when it comes to wearing contact lenses to make it easier for their careers.

"The FBI doesn't have a problem with you wearing your glasses while you participate in raids?" asked Dr. Woodson

"My Unit Chief doesn't have a problem with me wearing my glasses in the field as long as I can see clearly." said Spencer

"I will write in your medical file that you are wearing your glasses full time now." said Dr. Woodson before looking at Olivia who was holding Piper

"May I hold your daughter so I can look at her eyes?" asked Dr. Woodson

"You're lucky that she's awake right now." said Olivia as she passed Piper to Dr. Woodson

Dr. Woodson looked into Piper's eyes before looking into Spencer's and Olivia's eyes and speaking.

"Based on how her eye color is, it seems like she is going to have Spencer's eye color." said Dr. Woodson as he passed Piper back to her mother

* * *

Spencer got Piper into the back seat before climbing into the drivers seat and looked at Olivia who was buckling herself in.

"At least Hotch will be updating my medical file when I go back to work on Monday." said Spencer as he watched Olivia compare results from the last time he had lab work done to the results from the lab work he had done a few days prior

"Your lab work results definitely improved since the last time you had lab work done." said Olivia

"That's because you cleaned up my diet a lot." teased Spencer

"Since you have no more doctor appointments to go to, let's go home and have supper." said Olivia

* * *

On Sunday night, Spencer and Olivia woke up to Piper crying, causing both of them to check on Piper in her nursery.

"What's wrong Piper?" asked Spencer as he gently picked up his daughter

"Let's see if she needs a snack." said Olivia

Spencer passed Piper to Olivia, and a few seconds later Piper refused to be fed.

"She isn't hungry, and you changed her diaper an hour ago." said Olivia as she tried to rock Piper in her rocking chair

"What if she's colicky?" asked Spencer

"That could be something that's wrong with her." said Olivia

For the next hour and a half Spencer and Olivia tried everything they thought of to get Piper to stop crying, and Spencer looked at Olivia.

"Lets take Piper into our room and see how she deals with her stomach on my chest." said Spencer as he passed Piper to Olivia

Two minutes later Spencer was laying on his back in bed and Olivia placed Piper on Spencer's chest, causing her to stop crying.

"Why didn't we try that sooner?" yawned Olivia

"Having Piper sleep in bed with us like this isn't a good idea. There is a higher chance of SIDS if we have her sleep in bed with us when she is this small." said Spencer as he gently rubbed Piper's back

"Seems like she is an extreme daddy's girl if she will only sleep when laying on you in bed." whispered Olivia with a smirk on her face

"With how Piper adores me, it's going to be harder for me when I go to work in a few hours." yawned Spencer

Olivia looked at the clock and spoke up.

"With it being 4 AM, I think I can handle waking up at 5 to feed Piper while you sleep in until your alarm goes off." whispered Olivia as she removed Spencer's glasses from his face

"OK." said Spencer as he closed his eyes

Before Olivia went to sleep herself, she made sure that Piper's head was in a position that allowed her to breathe.

* * *

Spencer heard his alarm clock blaring and decided to grab his pillow and put it over his head as Olivia walked into the room with Piper in her arms.

"It seems like Daddy doesn't want to get up for first day back to work after spending your first month with us." said Olivia as she gazed down at one month old Piper

"I don't wanna go to work." mumbled Spencer from under his pillow

"You're going Spencer, and when you come home later you can be on Piper duty." said Olivia

"Deal." said Spencer as he put on his glasses and grinned when he saw his baby girl in Olivia's arms as he got out of bed

"Let me take her." said Spencer as he gently extracted Piper from Olivia's arms and he smiled down at his one month daughter "Good morning Piper."

Piper gurgled happily at her daddy as she gripped his soft t-shirt.

"Today I go back to work, but I really don't want to leave because I enjoyed playing house with your mommy over the past month." said Spencer

Olivia shook her head before speaking up.

"You're going Spencer." said Olivia as she gently extracted Piper from her daddy, causing her to whimper "Hurry up and get dressed because I am making blueberry pancakes for breakfast."

At that moment Spencer's stomach growled causing Olivia to giggle as she left the room with Piper.

"My cooking can get his stomach to growl." said Olivia as she watched her husband walk into the bathroom

Piper gurgled at her mommy before Olivia spoke up again.

"Since daddy goes back to work today, that means I have a few days of having you all to myself if your daddy has to go catch bad guys." said Olivia

Piper let out a whimper and Olivia looked at her daughter.

"Don't cry Piper, because Daddy will make sure that you always hear his voice when he has to go catch bad guys." said Olivia as she carried Piper downstairs

* * *

15 minutes later Spencer was eating breakfast with Olivia while Piper was in her baby swing.

"What do you and Piper have planned today?" asked Spencer after he took a sip of his coffee

"I am going to go meet up with a few professors for lunch after Piper's one month check up." said Olivia

"Glad to be getting out of the house?" asked Spencer

"Very." said Olivia

"Just make sure that you find some time to sleep because Piper kept us up for 90 minutes last night because of being colicky." said Spencer

"Same for you if there is a case, and please go easy on the coffee because I only allowed you two cups of coffee a day to make sure you got sleep." said Olivia

"Yes ma'am." teased Spencer

Spencer looked at the clock and realized that he had to leave in 20 minutes.

"I have 20 minutes before I have to hit the road." said Spencer

At that moment Piper let out a whimper, and Olivia looked at Spencer

"Do you think you have a few minutes to change Piper's diaper?" asked Olivia

"Yes I do." said Spencer as he got off the stool and walked over to his daughter who was in her baby swing

"Want daddy to change your diaper before he leaves for work?" asked Spencer as he scooped up his daughter

Piper cooed at her daddy and Spencer spoke.

"I take that as a yes." said Spencer as he carried Piper upstairs to her nursery

As Spencer started changing Piper's diaper, he looked at her.

"I might not always be home to witness your milestones, but your mommy will make sure to send me lots of pictures and videos of you." said Spencer

A few minutes later Spencer was downstairs saying goodbye to his two girls.

"I love you Piper." said Spencer as he kissed Piper's forehead before passing Piper to Olivia

"What about me?" pouted Olivia

"I love you too Livy." said Spencer as he kissed Olivia deeply

"Better get going before I decide to keep you here instead of going to work." teased Olivia

* * *

Spencer entered the bullpen and shook his head when he noticed a welcome back banner.

"You guys didn't have to throw a welcome back party for me." said Spencer

"We missed you, and Hotch forbade us from calling you for help during cases." said Garcia as she hugged Spencer tightly before Morgan came up to them

"And it's weird to see you be one of the last ones to show up before 9 AM." said Morgan as he hugged Spencer

"I am most likely going to be the last one in and one of the first to leave to go home to my family." said Spencer

"How is my goddaughter doing?" asked Hotch as he gave Spencer a rare hug to welcome him back

"She was upset when I was leaving for work, but she calmed down when I told her that she will always hear my voice everyday." said Spencer

"Eventually Piper will adjust to not seeing you everyday." said JJ as she hugged Spencer

"I spent the past few weeks recording myself reading books out loud for Olivia to play when she is trying to calm Piper down." said Spencer

"Piper still a daddy's girl?" asked Rossi as he hugged Spencer before giving him kisses on both cheeks

"Very." said Spencer as he pulled out the framed Father's Day card from Piper and placed it on his desk

"What's that?" asked Morgan

"My very first Father's Day card that I wanted to display on my desk." said Spencer as he showed the framed card with the note that Olivia wrote and Piper's hand print

"Aww." cooed JJ and Garcia at the same time

"You must really love that card to frame it." said Morgan as he looked at the pictures that were added over the past month

Garcia looked at Morgan.

"I think it's sweet that Reid wants to put his first Father's Day card in a frame and display it on his desk here." said Garcia as she read the message Olivia wrote

At that moment Hotch looked at the clock, realizing that he needed to get his agents started on their consults before lunch time.

"Let's get to work because for now it's a paperwork day, barring an emergency case." said Hotch

Spencer quickly grabbed the folder that contained the papers from all the appointments he attended the previous Friday and handed it to Hotch.

"Here is everything that you need to update my medical file." said Spencer

"Thanks." said Hotch as took the folder and quickly looked at it before looking at Reid "You got the medical appointments that you were going to be due for out of the way on last Friday."

"Olivia was the one to suggest that I get all of those appointments out of the way while I was still on paternity leave because of my unpredictable schedule." said Spencer

"I am glad that you did." said Hotch before walking away so he could update Spencer's file

"How did those appointments go?" asked JJ

"I am perfectly healthy based on the lifestyle changes I made since my sabbatical last year, but I am now wearing my glasses all the time." said Spencer

"What about your contact lenses?" asked Morgan

"I hate wearing contact lenses, but I only wore them to make everything easier." shrugged Spencer

"I think your glasses look nice on you Boy Wonder." said Garcia, causing JJ to nod in agreement because she doesn't care if Spencer prefers his glasses over contact lenses

JJ looked at Spencer and Garcia.

"If Henry ever needs glasses in the future, I know that you two can help him accept wearing them." said JJ

"We should probably get to work so we can leave at 5 if we don't get a case." said Rossi as he headed to his office

* * *

Six hours later Spencer looked at a photo of him with Olivia and Piper, causing him to smile before he heard JJ's voice a minute later.

"You thinking about the two girls who are waiting for you at home?" asked JJ

"I miss them." said Spencer as he pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose

"I miss my two boys but this job helps me make this world a better place for Henry like you're doing for Piper." said JJ

Spencer looked at the clock, realizing that it's 3 PM.

"This is the longest time I have spent away from Piper." said Spencer as he rested a hand on a photo of him holding Piper while he had a huge smile on his face for the picture

"You will eventually cope. On my first day back I knew that I had to either dive right in or confront my separation anxiety." said JJ

"I remember that day too because Emily was flipping the bird when you walked in because of what Garcia read to her from the newspaper after she asked me to tell her when Emily's birthday is." grinned Spencer

"I miss her." said JJ as she glanced at the desk Emily use to use

"You will enjoy working with Alex. I really enjoy working with her when I am not helping with her classes." said Spencer

"What do you mean by working with her?" asked JJ

"She has borrowed me for a few cases she worked when we were on stand down, and I have written articles dealing with linguistics with her before." said Spencer

At that moment Garcia walked into Hotch's office and Spencer looked at JJ.

"Think there's going to be a case?" asked Spencer

"Based on the file she has, there probably is one." said JJ

"I was hoping that I could go home tonight." said Spencer

"I was hoping to go home tonight too." said JJ

At that moment Hotch came into the bullpen and looked at Reid and JJ.

"Conference room now." said Hotch

* * *

Spencer pulled out his phone and called Olivia.

"Have a case?" asked Olivia

"Yes." sighed Spencer

"Piper and I will be alright for a few days, and if I need help I can call either Will or Jessica." said Olivia

"Make sure you get some sleep while I am in Philadelphia." said Spencer

"I am planning to get some sleep while Piper sleeps." said Olivia

"I have to be on the jet in 20 minutes so I have to go now." said Spencer

"Stay safe and Piper and I love you." said Olivia

"I love you and Piper, and I promise to stay safe." said Spencer before hanging up with Olivia

* * *

After briefing over what they had on the jet, Hotch looked at his agents and spoke up.

"Morgan and JJ you two go to the crime scene, Rossi to the ME, and Reid and will I set up at the field office." said Hotch

Spencer's phone vibrated, and he smiled when he saw a picture of Einstein sitting by Piper's baby swing.

"A picture of Piper?" asked Hotch

"Piper and Einstein together." said Spencer as he passed his phone around

"How is Einstein coping with Piper?" asked Morgan as he passed the phone to JJ

"Einstein loves Piper, but when Piper was napping during my paternity leave I made sure to give Einstein some attention." said Spencer

"By taking him for walks?" asked Morgan

"I will take Einstein running with me since I finally have him trained to handle being on a leash." said Spencer

"A good way to tire a dog out." said Morgan

"Olivia and I are planning to take both Piper and Einstein running with us when Olivia gets the all clear for moderate exercise since we invested in a jogging stroller so we can include Piper when it's nice outside." said Spencer

* * *

Two hours later Spencer was working on the geographical profile and he let out a small yawn that Hotch heard.

"You alright?" asked Hotch

"Olivia and I were up for 90 minutes due to Piper being colicky last night." said Spencer as Agent Morris came to see if they needed anything

"Who's Olivia and Piper?" asked Agent Morris as she looked at Spencer

Spencer grinned at the thought of his two girls before speaking up.

"Olivia is my wife and Piper is my one month old daughter." smiled Spencer

"Congratulations Dr. Reid." said Agent Morris

"Thanks." said Spencer

"Have any pictures of your little girl?" asked Agent Morris

Spencer quickly pulled out his phone and pulled up the photo of him, Olivia, and Piper after Piper's Christening.

"This was taken after Piper's Christening last week when Rossi hosted the reception dinner in his garden." said Spencer

Agent Morris looked at the photo, and she noticed Spencer and a light brown haired woman gazing lovingly down at their daughter who was wearing a white Christening gown in a large backyard.

"She's beautiful." said Agent Morris

"She's beautiful like her mother." said Spencer before looking at Hotch "And the only way to get Piper to sleep was by having her sleep in bed last night and laying her on my chest." said Spencer

"Your heartbeat was probably soothing for her." said Hotch

"Olivia thinks so too." said Spencer

"At least you are learning that you always can't rely on books to take care of a baby." said Hotch

* * *

Five hours later Spencer was sitting pretzel legged on the conference room table while he quickly read through the files about the victims that caused them to get called in while mumbling to himself.

"Is Dr. Reid talking to himself?" whispered Agent Morris as she watched Spencer's mouth move as he read the letters at a fast pace

"He has a tendency to mumble to himself while reading." whispered Hotch as he watched Reid mumble

"You don't even seem fazed by his actions." whispered Agent Morris

"Out of my team I've known him the longest. I met him when he was a 21 year old cadet in the academy before I became his training officer for two years when he joined the BAU at 22." whispered Hotch

"How old is Dr. Reid now?" asked Agent Morris, remembering that Reid was 26 when he walked into her field office with Rossi to help her out

"He will be turning 31 this October, and I really don't worry about him that much anymore. He now has his wife and one month old daughter to help him balance the horrors that he sees while working this job." whispered Hotch

"You used to worry about him a lot?" whispered Agent Morris

"He is the youngest agent on my team causing everyone to be protective of him, but I still worry about him because he has too much to live for." whispered Hotch

"Like walking his daughter down the aisle when she gets married." said Agent Morris

Spencer decided to speak up when he heard the word marriage.

"Piper is banned from dating until she is 30 years old." said Spencer as he pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose

Hotch shook his head before heading over to JJ and Morgan who returned from the crime scenes.

* * *

Three days later at 3 AM Spencer walked into his daughter's nursery, and he looked down at his daughter who was laying awake in her crib.

"You should be sleeping Piper." whispered Spencer before he gently scooped up his daughter and carried her downstairs to the couch where he laid down on his back before laying Piper down on her stomach on his chest

"Daddy missed you." said Spencer as he kissed Piper's head before stroking her short curls and speaking again "You should go back to sleep Piper. I am going to get some sleep too, before mommy finds us down here."

At that moment Piper fell asleep to her daddy's soothing heart beat, and Spencer closed his eyes a few seconds later.

* * *

Olivia walked into Piper's nursery and she gasped when she saw Spencer's go bag in Piper's nursery making her wonder where her two favorite people are before realizing that they could be downstairs.

A minute later Olivia walked into the living room to find her two favorite people sleeping on the couch, and she pulled out her cellphone and took a picture before extracting Piper from her husband, causing him to wake up.

"What time is it?" mumbled Spencer

"5 AM." answered Olivia before speaking up "When did you get home?" asked Olivia

"3 AM, and I don't have to go in until 10 AM." yawned Spencer

"I have to feed Piper, so why don't you go upstairs to shower and go to bed." said Olivia as she adjusted Piper in her arms

"OK." mumbled Spencer tiredly as he got off the couch and headed upstairs

* * *

A few days later Alex came into the bullpen carrying a box carrying her belongings for her desk.

"Need some help setting up?" asked Spencer as he walked over to Alex

"Sure." said Alex

Alex looked at Spencer and JJ.

"Where are Agent Morgan and TA Garcia?" asked Blake

"They are in London right now for the Olympics and to visit Emily who is running an office in Interpol." said JJ before looking at Blake "It's nice to see you again."

"Likewise." said Blake

"Let me help you two because it looks like Hotch got a phone call about a case." said JJ as she started helping Spencer and Alex set up Alex's desk

10 minutes later Hotch came into the bullpen and looked at Reid, JJ, and Blake.

"Conference room now." said Hotch

"Where are we going?" asked Spencer

"Seattle, Washington." said Hotch

* * *

 _A/N: Next chapter involves episode 8×01 The Silencer_


	4. The Silencer Part 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds

 _A/N: Shout out to Hippichic81, Tannerose5, OhSnapItsMadison, Panda Bunny 2.0, Mrs. JaganshiReidofHufflepuff, and Chermayne reviewing chapter 3._

 _With the 2012 Summer Olympics taking place in July and August of 2012, this chapter is taking place mid-August in this chapter so Piper is nearing two months old._

* * *

As soon as the jet leveled, Spencer started working on his post case paperwork.

"Working on your after case reports?" asked JJ as she sat across from him

"Yes." said Spencer

"Can't wait to get home to your two girls." said JJ

"I just want have daddy/daughter time with Piper while Olivia has a few hours to herself." said Spencer

"Piper's lucky to have you as her father." said JJ

"I know." grinned Spencer

"Is Olivia ready to go back to work when classes start?" asked JJ

"She can't wait to go back to work, despite enjoying motherhood." said Spencer

"Just like you are enjoying fatherhood." said JJ

A short while later, Spencer handed Hotch his completed report before heading to the small kitchenette to fix himself a cup of coffee and grab a snack.

As Spencer was preparing a fresh batch of coffee, Hotch joined him as he was eating an apple.

"Excited to go home to your two girls after working on your consults for a few hours?" asked Hotch

"Very." said Spencer before continuing "I'm glad that you gave me the suggestion to start working on my post case reports right away so I can get home to my two girls after stopping at the office for a few minutes." said Spencer as he tossed the core into the small garbage can

"How's Piper doing?" asked Hotch

Spencer's eyes lit up when his little girl was mentioned and started talking about her.

"When I talked to Olivia earlier, I got to hear Piper gurgle over the phone." grinned Spencer as he poured himself a cup of coffee before passing the pot to Hotch

"I remember those days." said Hotch, glad to see that fatherhood is agreeing with Spencer

"I just can't believe how time is going fast since holding Piper for the first time nearly two months ago." sighed Spencer

"Me neither." said Hotch

"Piper has her two month check up on Friday." said Spencer

"What time is the appointment at?" asked Hotch who is wanting to keep the promise he made to himself about making sure that Reid doesn't miss doctor appointments like this

"8 AM." said Spencer

"You can show up late that day." said Hotch

"I talked to my parents the day before leaving for Seattle, and they were begging Olivia and I to bring Piper for a visit since she's old enough to fly." said Spencer

"You still have some vacation days left." said Hotch

"I know." said Spencer

"So how about you talk to Olivia when you get home." said Hotch as he rinsed his empty mug before heading back to where he was sitting

Spencer sat across from Alex who looked up from her book and smiled at him.

"Completed your report?" asked Alex

"Handed it to Hotch already." said Spencer before adding "Should we start planning our next article to publish together?"

"I have a few ideas for the next article that we can write together after you finish your PhD in psychology." said Alex as she handed Spencer some notes she was working on

"I have a few ideas too." said Spencer as he pulled his notebook out of his messenger bag and passed it to Alex before he quickly read her ideas "These are good ideas."

Alex looked up from Spencer's notes and spoke.

"I like your ideas too, Spencer." said Alex

At that moment Spencer and Alex started talking about their next article while Spencer jotted down some notes.

Rossi, who was watching Spencer and Alex talk looked over at Hotch.

"Aaron, why did you have to hire her?" asked Rossi

Hotch leaned over and whispered.

"He's comfortable working with her, and you know how he is with change." whispered Hotch

"But hiring an agent who has a mind that's almost like Spencer's?" asked Rossi

Hotch shook his head as Reid who overheard Rossi decided to speak up.

"Are you jealous that I have someone else to play chess with on the jet and talk to about publishing articles?" teased Spencer, causing everyone but Rossi to laugh

"Watch it sonny boy or I might not help you with your next interview so you can complete your 4th PhD before December." said Rossi, causing everyone including Spencer to laugh

Alex looked at Spencer.

"I can help you with your next custodial interview for your PhD." said Alex

"OK." said Spencer as he pulled out his travel chess set

"Care for a game of chess, Alex?" asked Spencer

"Sure." said Alex as she put down her book and helped Spencer set up the board

Rossi looked at Spencer.

"Traitor." said Rossi, causing laughter to erupt from Spencer, Alex, Hotch, and JJ

"How about after this game I go against you." said Spencer

"I'd rather play against Gideon, even though he always beats me like you do." said Rossi

Alex looked at Spencer.

"You play chess with Jason?" asked Alex

"Yes, and I will still occasionally play against him." said Spencer

"Even though he will groan to me about you now having no problem beating him at chess." said Rossi

At that moment Hotch decided to let Spencer, Rossi, JJ, and Alex know that Morgan and Garcia would be back before Spencer and Alex started their game of chess.

"Morgan and Garcia should be back when we land." said Hotch

"I just hope that Garcia didn't go overboard on shopping for Henry." said JJ

"Hopefully Morgan and Emily made sure to control her shopping habits because I am worried about how much money she spent on Piper." shuddered Spencer while thinking about how spoiled Piper is already

"Let's not forget about Jack too." said Hotch

Spencer looked at Hotch.

"Speaking of gifts, I am going to need a morning off when Olivia goes back to work." said Spencer

"Why?" asked Hotch

"With Olivia's and my one year wedding anniversary coming up next month, I decided that I will have a professional portrait of Piper and me done since I have to get Olivia a gift that deals with paper for her one year anniversary present." said Spencer

"That's a great gift idea." said JJ

"Just let me know when the appointment is." said Hotch

Spencer decided to give Hotch a thumbs up before focusing on the chess board.

* * *

Spencer grinned when he heard Morgan's and Garcia's voices.

"They're back." whispered Spencer

At that moment Morgan and Garcia smiled when they saw their younger coworkers come over to them.

"Hi! Hey! You guys are back. Hi." said Garcia as she hugged JJ

"Oi, mates. Give me a squeeze." said Garcia as she attempted an English accent

Spencer allowed himself to be hugged by Garcia.

"Oh, you guys look great." said JJ as she hugged Morgan

"Hey, Blondie." said Morgan as he hugged JJ

"Cheers." said Garcia

"How's Emily doing?" asked Spencer

"Brilliant and lovely, and she expects you to send her more pictures of Piper." said Garcia as she continued to speak in an English accent as Reid greeted Morgan with a failed fist bump

"Her apartment's off the chain." said Morgan

"You mean her flat. You have to take a shaky old lift to get to the top, but the view is brilliant." said Garcia as she passed Spencer a mug "For my favorite bloke."

"Hey, I love it! Thank you!" exclaimed Spencer

Garcia passed the double Decker bus to JJ.

"Thanks." said JJ

Spencer looked at Morgan.

"How was temporary duty?" asked Spencer

"Oh, it was around the clock. I thought I'd get a little more of a vacation, but..." said Morgan

"Did you watch the Olympics at all?" asked Spencer, thinking about some of the events he watched with Olivia before he had to go to Seattle

"I did see a little track and field, but the queen bee here, she saw everything." said Morgan

"Emily is for real hooked up over there. She sends her love. And tea of the month starts next week." said Garcia

"Ohh. I miss her." said JJ

"Don't even get me started." said Garcia before deciding to bring up Alex "Hey, how's the new? Is she nice?"

"Yeah, she is, and you met her at Olivia's baby shower." said JJ

"I'm just asking." said Garcia before looking at Spencer "Reid, do you know she was recruited when she was 24?"

"I told you that I guest lectured in her forensic linguistics class before." said Spencer

"Of course you have, 'cause she's a professor and an agent, which is so impressive." mumbled Garcia

"No, really, she's great." said JJ glad that they have someone who understands Spencer's line of thinking

"And driven, clearly. Berkeley grad, double major, Bureau star of the Unabomber case. And she teaches at Georgetown where Olivia works. When she's not doing that, she's SSAing at the Washington Field Office, and she has her PhD. Does that mean I have to call her doctor?" rambled Garcia before noticing the stares she was getting "What?! I did some research on her 'cause I couldn't sleep on the plane. And my point is, clearly, she is smart and capable, but is she nice?" asked Garcia

Spencer turned his head seeing that Alex was coming towards them and quickly tapped Garcia to alert her.

JJ cleared her throat to tell Garcia that Alex was approaching them and she inwardly smirked at the look on Spencer's face as he walked closer to her.

"Oh, dear God, this is happening, where I talk and the person is behind..." said Garcia as she turned around "Me."

"The origin of "nice" is 12th century middle English, meaning foolish or stupid. I hope you're referring to the modern use of the adjective." said Alex as she noticed the smirks on Spencer's and JJ's faces before she continued "You must be Penelope. I'm Alex Blake. Its nice to see you again."

"Nice to see you again too. Really, actually nice in the nicest of ways nice." said Garcia as Morgan placed a hand on her shoulder

"I'm Derek Morgan." said Morgan as he shook hands with Alex

"Welcome back." said Alex

"How was Seattle?" asked Morgan

"The unsub made Ridgeway look like a saint. He even used his own kid to bait the victims." said Alex

"Well, we've seen that before. No doubt we'll see it again." said Morgan

At that moment Rossi and Hotch walked past them.

"Don't unpack." said Rossi

"Garcia, the files." said Hotch

"Yeah. The files. Oh, God." said Garcia as she walked away as Strauss came into the bullpen

"I was really excited about being on Piper duty so Olivia can take a break." muttered Spencer as he watched Strauss walk into the conference room, realizing if Strauss is briefing them it must be serious

Alex looked at Spencer.

"It will be OK Spencer." said Alex as she walked in step with Spencer

Spencer nodded at Strauss as he entered the conference room and he sat down next to Alex.

"A few hours ago there was a prison transfer to the county hospital in Abilene, Texas." said Hotch as Strauss passed files around while he talked "The ambulance crashed and the prisoner escaped."

"He's wearing the EMT uniform, and he's armed with the guard's weapon." said Strauss as she continued passing files around

"Aren't the U. S. Marshals on this?" asked Morgan

"Yes, they are, but they need your help because this is what they found inside." said Strauss as she pulled a picture up on the screen "The EMT and the driver died in the accident. The guard, however, suffocated."

"What's on his mouth?" asked Alex

"It was sewn shut." answered Strauss

"So the prisoner is the Silencer." said Alex

"Or this guy's a copycat." said Rossi

"Forensics confirmed it's the same unique double-knot ligature he used in all 3 murders." said Hotch

Spencer decided to use his eidetic memory to recall the case since he consulted on it during his first year in the BAU.

"His last known victim was in 2004 and he was never caught." said Spencer

"So he didn't go dormant by choice. He was locked up." said JJ

"Well, why not just escape? If he hadn't sewn the guard's mouth shut, we would never know it was him." said Morgan

"He wants us to know he's back." said Rossi

"We've got his face. What's his name?" asked Alex

"John Doe. He was pulled over in '04 for a traffic violation. No registration, no tags. He carried no I. D." said Hotch

"No way he did 8 years for that." said Alex

"They searched the car and found a gun with a silencer." said Hotch

"A silencer. He was practically telling them who he was and no one made the connection." said Rossi

"It's a federal offense, carries a 30-year minimum sentence. But it was actually what he did inside that guaranteed him life without parole." said Hotch

JJ who was reading the file spoke up.

"He killed two men while inside." said JJ

"And never said a word." said Spencer

"Mm-hmm. He spoke with his fists." said Alex

"Remaining silent for 8 years takes a hell of a lot of self-restraint." said Morgan

"Maybe it was a conditioned response." said Spencer as he looked up at Morgan

"Garcia's gathering all the files from '04. We'll catch up on the plane. Wheels up in 30." said Hotch as everyone got up from the table to head to their desks, grab their go bags and make phone calls

Spencer sat down at his desk and called Olivia right away.

"Another case?" asked Olivia

"Going to Texas." sighed Spencer

"It's OK Spencer, and I will send you a few pictures of Piper to cheer you up." said Olivia

"How is my little princess?" asked Spencer

"She misses her daddy, but she will be excited to hear your voice before I put her to bed tonight." said Olivia

"Is she awake?" asked Spencer

"I just put her down for a nap, and I am about to take one myself." said Olivia

"When I get home, I want you to have a few hours to yourself while I have daddy/daughter time with Piper." said Spencer, not realizing that Strauss was within hearing distance and already planning that after this case she will make sure her agents are office bound for the rest of the week

"Deal, but I expect us to have a bubble bath together after you get Piper down." said Olivia

"OK." said Spencer

"I am going let you go, and we will talk later." said Olivia

"I love you Spencer." said Olivia

"I love you and Piper too." said Spencer

"Please stay safe." said Olivia

"I promise." said Spencer before hanging up with Olivia

* * *

"Did any of you work on the Silencer case?" asked Alex

"That was during my extended sabbatical." said Rossi

"We all consulted, but nobody made the trip to Texas." said Hotch

Alex looked at her teammates before speaking up.

"Why not?" asked Alex before continuing "3 women in 4 months. It's a textbook kill rate. An undeniable signature. Obvious surrogates." said Alex

"We weren't invited by the local police." said Hotch

"Aren't you tired of that?" asked Alex

"Welcome to our world." said Hotch

"The women he killed were beaten and left in open ditches. That physical representation of his anger is missing this time around." said Morgan

"He must do something else that satisfies him." said JJ

"The signature is the same, but his victimology couldn't be more different. The guard was clearly a victim of necessity. But if he's in need-driven behavior such as sewing mouths shut, how can he control that and only do it to the guard?" asked Spencer

"Maybe he just ran out of time." said JJ

"Or he could want the guard to suffer in silence." said Morgan

"Literally makes his victims shut up." said Rossi

"It seems obvious, but, uh, there may be something to that." said Hotch as Spencer nodded

"Then the question is why?" asked Alex

"Morgan, you and JJ go to the M. E. Reid, you and Dave check out John Doe's cell. Blake and I will head to the U. S. Marshals." said Hotch

At that moment Spencer's cellphone vibrated, and he grinned when he saw a picture message alert from Olivia.

"A text from Olivia?" asked Morgan

"Olivia just sent me a picture of Piper." grinned Spencer as he looked at a photo of Piper smiling for a picture

"Let me see my goddaughter." said JJ

Spencer passed the phone to JJ and she looked at the photo of Piper smiling.

"I can't believe that my goddaughter is turning two months old on Friday." said JJ as she passed the phone to Hotch

"Me neither, but time has gone a bit too fast for my liking." said Spencer, causing JJ and Hotch to nod in agreement because of their sons

* * *

Spencer got into an SUV with Rossi, and Rossi looked at him.

"Take a few minutes to talk to Olivia." said Rossi

"I was planning on it." said Spencer as he pulled out his cellphone and called Olivia

"Did you arrive in Texas yet?" asked Olivia as she fastened Piper's diaper before snapping Piper's onesie closed

"Just landed a few minutes ago." said Spencer

"Well someone is awake and wants to hear her daddy's voice." said Olivia as she switched her phone onto speaker "I am talking to daddy right now." said Olivia causing Piper to kick her legs and gurgle

Spencer grinned when he heard Piper gurgle.

"Hey there, Piper." said Spencer causing his grin to get wider as he heard Piper gurgle and coo "Is that so?"

"She's telling you to come home as soon as you can because she misses you." said Olivia

"I miss you too Piper, but I will be home as soon as I can." said Spencer

"What about me?" asked Olivia

"I miss the both of you." said Spencer before speaking "I have to go, but call me when you are putting Piper to bed so I can say goodnight to our little girl." said Spencer

"I promise. Piper and I love you Spencer." said Olivia

"And I love the both of you too." said Spencer as he hung up and he noticed Rossi looking at him

"Is it still hard for you to be away from them?" asked Rossi

"It is." said Spencer before looking at Rossi "And thank you again for hosting the reception dinner after Piper's Christening last month."

"It's the least I could do since you and Olivia decided to elope over 11 months ago." said Rossi

* * *

Spencer was paging through notebooks and books as he spoke.

"Everything points to a solitary existence. You know, interestingly enough, the most worn book is "The Count of Monte Cristo." said Spencer as he looked at the book, realizing that it's in a language he knows.

"Of course it is. The hero's only reason for living was to seek vengeance. Maybe he relates." said Rossi

"It's in French." said Spencer

"I didn't see that coming. Looks like he wrote a lot too." said Rossi as he looked at a notebook

"He's been pent up physically and verbally far too long." said Spencer

"So he gets into his first fight within days of being here. It got him a week's worth of solitary." said Rossi

"That pattern escalated until he eventually killed an inmate, got out of solitary and killed another." said Spencer

"So he silences his victims before he gets inside. His actions get him silenced while he's here. Ironic?" asked Rossi

"Fortuitous. Looks like he has two forms of expression- silence and rage. We need to find out why he's operating in these extremes. Maybe it's in his writings." said Spencer as he and Rossi grabbed the journals that their unsub wrote in and exited the cell

* * *

Spencer and Rossi walked into the room they were given to work in as they heard Hotch speak.

"It would have been severe- a stutter maybe." said Hotch

"We've got ourselves a reader over here." said Rossi

"In multiple languages." said Spencer as he passed the journals to Alex

"Spanish, English, and German are the primary languages for Texas." said Alex

"He reads in French, but most of his own writings are in English. His handwriting is the size of courier type, and so far I've read 50,000 words." said said Spencer

"And?" asked Alex as she looked at the notebook Spencer passed her

"The small print tells me he's methodical, not always social. The narrow spacing indicates a tremendous amount of irritability." said Spencer

"It looks like stream of consciousness. Interesting. His reading comprehension suggests above-average intelligence, but his writing is inferior. Could be what he grew up hearing." said Alex as she made eye contact with Spencer who nodded

"You two should guest-lecture together." said Rossi before adding sarcastically, "Oh, wait."

"He literally put words in the guard's mouth." said Morgan as he showed the bag that was fished out of the victim's mouth

"That's new." said Rossi

"Well, we think this is what we were missing. The words give him the pleasure the beatings used to bring." said JJ

"Maybe we had this wrong. What if the ritual is sewing the mouths shut? His signature used to be the beatings, but now it's putting words in their mouths." said Spencer

"Just when you think a signature doesn't get more solid than that. What did he write?" asked Alex

"Gazing Through To The Other Side." recited Morgan

"It's not an anagram. Is that a phrase in anything you've read so far?" asked Alex as she looked at Spencer

"No. It's not a well-known literary reference either." said Spencer

"Well, the words mean something to him, otherwise he wouldn't share it." said Alex

"It's gonna get dark soon. He'll be on the move." said Hotch

"You want us on the road with the Marshals?" asked Morgan

"No, I think we should concentrate on remote locations. He's not just escaping detection, he's a recluse. He'll be attracted to isolated locations." said Hotch

* * *

As Spencer and his teammates were eating take out with Marshall Tilghman, Spencer's cellphone rang, causing him to grin when he noticed that it was Olivia.

"Hey Livy." grinned Spencer

"I about to put Piper to bed, and she kicked her legs when I told her that we were calling you so you can say goodnight to her." said Olivia

"One of my most favorite times of the day." grinned Spencer as he gained a look from Tilghman

"You're on speaker Spencer." said Olivia as she looked at Piper "Your Daddy is on the phone."

At that moment Spencer grinned when he heard Piper gurgle through the phone and he spoke.

"Hi there Piper." said Spencer

Piper continued gurgling more.

"I miss you too Piper, but when I get home I will play with you so your mommy can have a break." said Spencer before he heard Piper yawn "Daddy loves you, and I will be home as soon as I can." said Spencer before he heard rustling in Piper's nursery

"You got her to sleep." said Olivia as she exited Piper's nursery

"Glad that I could help Livy, but I have to go because I'm eating dinner right now." said Spencer

"Call me later?" asked Olivia

"I will try." said Spencer

"Love you." said Olivia

"Love you too." said Spencer as he hung up and Tilghman looked at Spencer.

"You have kids?" asked Tilghman

"A nearly two month old baby girl." said Spencer as he showed Marshall Tilghman a picture of Piper that Olivia sent him earlier

"You have a beautiful daughter." said Tilghman

"Thanks." said Spencer

* * *

Spencer was sitting at the table when Alex came over to him with her phone and he heard Morgan's voice.

"Waiting on the Taste of Honey... The Smell of Summer." recited Morgan through the phone

"And the Sight of the Other Side." 3 of the senses. We're only missing sound and touch." said Alex

"This guy's like Jekyll and Hyde. Writes a decent thought and then sews it in the mouth." said Morgan

"Whatever he is, he's romanticizing the hell out of this. Thanks, Morgan." said Alex

"Sure." said Morgan before Alex hung up

"Gazing through to the other side, waiting on the taste of honey, the smell of summer." Do you think he's telling us about a place?" asked Spencer

"Well, it sounds like it. But... Where?" asked Alex as she walked back to the board she was staring at before she and Spencer bounced ideas off

* * *

"We can't tell you exactly where this unsub's going or what he's thinking, but his actions will betray his intentions." said Hotch

"And how's that?" asked Tilghman

"Earlier tonight at the gas station, he could have stolen money, but the cash register wasn't empty. That tells us that he's not planning a long road trip. And yet he's logical enough to be in survival mode." said Hotch

"So logic tells him to escape. I get that. But what the hell makes him sew mouths shut?" asked Tilghman

"It's a compulsion over which he has no control." said Hotch

"So how do we stop him?" asked Tilghman

"Well, truth shows itself through actions. What's this guy's truth? He feels silenced. Agent Hotchner has a theory that he had a speech impediment that made him embarrassed to talk. He may have been relentlessly teased because of it." said Morgan

"His prior victims tell us a woman, likely a mother figure, is to blame. Chances are she was abusive and convinced him that whatever words he had were worthless." said JJ

"This guy hasn't spoken a word in 8 years. Could he be mute?" asked Tilighman

"Definitely not." said Alex

"You sound pretty damn sure." said Tilighman

"He refers to IPA in a few of his personal writings." said Alex

"What's IPA?" asked Tilghman

"International Phonetic Alphabet. It represents only those qualities of speech that are in spoken language. It's proof that he's able to hear, which means most likely he can talk but chooses not to." said Alex

"Then what's he use it for?" asked Tilghman

"He uses multiple languages, which highlights his desire to communicate. IPA is an interesting choice. I've found that those who understand something as detailed as that are also proficient in sign language." said Alex

"So these words that he's leaving in the mouth are directly taunting us?" asked Tilghman

"Those messages." said Morgan

"Have not been analyzed yet." said Alex

"Not to change the subject, but he's incredibly well read, which tells us that he most likely grew up in isolation, with literature being his only escape. His own writings are not as profound, and despite his reading comprehension, we don't believed he's had an extended education." said Spencer

"Everything about his psychosis says the spoken word has value. It also greatly angers him." said Rossi

"And if he was yelled at or made to feel stupid, he held on to his anger until he snapped." said Hotch

"So why hasn't he fled the area? I mean, he knows there's a manhunt going on here. Wouldn't he want to get as far away as possible?" asked Tilghman

"Well, he could be on a mission. We just don't know if that mission includes a person or a place. But we do know his target is close to here." said JJ

"Thank you." said Hotch as everyone walked away


	5. The Silencer Part 2

Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds

 _Shout out to Hippichic81, Fashionista7, southernbeauty13, OhSnapItsMadison, tannerose5 for reviewing chapter 4._

 _Sorry that this chapter is a bit on the shorter side, but I promise that the next chapter will be longer with a brief appearance of The Replicator._

* * *

Hotch was looking at the photos of their unsub as he spoke up.

"I don't know where this scar came from." said Hotch

"Well, he got into 23 fights over 8 years. It's bound to leave a few marks." said Rossi

"Yeah, I know, but I read the records, and there's no indication of a scar behind his left ear." said Hotch

"What are you thinking? Self-inflicted?" asked Rossi

"It could be." said Hotch

"The left side of his face is sagging in both photos. Maybe he had a stroke or palsy?" asked JJ

"So a facial deformity, a possible speech impediment. That leads to pretty low self-esteem." said Hotch

"How does 8 years locked up change someone?" asked JJ

"It takes away their voice." said Rossi

"But it doesn't take away his rage. Time only makes it worse." said JJ

"What if he started all those fights so he could be punished?" asked Hotch

"He was looking for quiet." said Spencer

"So getting into fights wasn't about his rage. It was about getting what he wanted." said Hotch

"Silence." said Morgan

Hotch looked at his agents.

"We might as well head over to the hotel and get some sleep." said Hotch

* * *

Spencer was sitting at the table when Hotch, JJ, and Alex came back from the crime scene.

"OK, so he leaves words until today. Maybe he's closer to what he's looking for?" asked JJ

"He could have already found it. If he feels satisfied, he may disappear." said Morgan

"Mm. We're too close to let that happen." said Alex

"All right, then we go back to the first kills. 3 women, late 40s, all working class. Mothers, brunettes, beaten and left in a ditch. That was his message. He hated them." said Hotch

"Maybe he's not targeting women anymore because he's already killed the person he blames." said Morgan

"Most likely his mother." said Alex

"We should have Garcia run all of the victims' names again." said Hotch as he called Garcia

A few seconds later they heard Garcia's voice.

"At your service." said Garcia through the speaker

"Pull up the '04 victims." instructed Hotch

Everyone heard typing before Garcia spoke up.

"Done." said Garcia

"All right, we need a list of their children." said Hotch

"OK, next of kin, state welfare, give me a sec. Gotcha! OK. Some were put into foster care after their moms died, runaways, truancy, not good." said Garcia  
"Any incarcerated?" asked Hotch

"A handful. Do you have any more parameters?" asked Garcia

"Uh, not yet. Just send us the list." said Hotch  
"Coming at ya now." said Garcia

"All right, let's start with the first victim." said Hotch

"Julie Myers." said JJ

"3 boys Mark, Greg, and John. Born '70, '72, '74. History of truancy. Child services lost track of them." said Hotch as he read the details

"Is there any family history of Cajun French?" asked Blake

"Yeah. Julie Myers was born in New Orleans." said Hotch

"Could explain his interest in the language." said Blake

"Let's jump ahead to his most recent behavior." said Morgan as he held up an evidence bag "He leaves all of this behind. Is it his version of surrender?"

"What's the medical tape for? He didn't use it on any of the victims." said Rossi

"Yet is was important enough for him to steal from the ambulance. Maybe he's using it on himself. We said that he may have some kind of nerve damage. If that's the case, his eye won't shut by itself. Maybe he has to tape it down." said Morgan

"It's his left eye, the same side where the recent scars are." said Hotch

"Under his ear. What if he was trying to stop from hearing." said JJ

"That's pretty severe, taking a knife to your own head." said Rossi

"He may have had an implant. The electronic pulses enhance natural sound. If all he wants is peace, an implant is like having a speaker that goes to 11." said Alex

At that moment Hotch decided to call Garcia again.

"That was fast." said Garcia through the phone

"Any of the children have a cochlear implant?" asked Hotch

"Uh, 1988, John Myers." said Garcia

"He was 14 at the time." said Hotch

"Yeah, his mom was paid 650 bucks for the medical trial." said Garcia

"Was he deaf before that?" asked Morgan

"Had to be in order to participate. Yikes. It was a highly experimental procedure." said Garcia as Reid raised his eyebrows "It was tested on humans and not animals. Caused quite the controversy."

"So mom gives him the gift of hearing and it turns out to be a curse." said Rossi

"Spent his first 14 years in silence, gets lost in the world through books, learns languages, anything to escape." said Spencer

"He's content, and then his mom gets paid to use him as a guinea pig. And now he can't turn the noise off." said Alex

"He blamed her and wanted her to suffer." said JJ

"These messages don't have a sense of geography, so he isn't leaving us a road map to his happy place." said Rossi

"They rarely do." said Spencer

"I don't think the writing is his own." said Alex

"You said it wasn't written in any literature." said JJ

"The phrasing is unnatural to the written word. It's like an oral recollection. Like a campfire story about paradise." said Alex

"One that he's searching for." said Spencer

"And if he can't find it, he'll kill again." said JJ

"If these aren't his words, whose are they?" asked Morgan

"We need to find out who his neighbors were in prison." said Alex

"He spent more time in solitary than he did in his own cell." said Rossi

"It's total darkness but not complete silence. The inmates can speak through the walls." said JJ

"Let's see which fellow inmates did time in solitary when he was there." said Rossi

"I can't imagine that someone thrown in solitary is nice enough to tell campfire stories." said JJ

"Some inmates get put there for their own protection." said Morgan

"That's true. We should start with those prisoners." said Hotch

Alex, who was looking at the notes that were left at the crime scene spoke up.

"Hold on. See how he wrote "waiting on the taste of honey." It's got southern U. S. roots, but more specifically, it's Texas south, a sub-dialect of southern English found in the north-central part of the state. Right here-you wait for something that hasn't shown up, you wait on something that's nearby."

"Then the taste of honey would be close." said Spencer

"Yes, and the storyteller is probably from north of here." said Alex

"Fewer were thrown in the hole than you think. Go ahead, Garcia." said Rossi as he put his phone on speaker

"Our unsub was the MVP of solitary. He was in there more than any other prisoner." said Garcia

"All right, we're looking for somebody who didn't belong in jail. His offense would be minimal. He might even be there for his own protection." said Hotch

"Uh-huh. I got a few." said Garcia

"Can you read off the hometowns?" asked Alex

"Sure. Beaumont, Edinburgh, Sweetwater." said Garcia

"Sweetwater. Who was that inmate?" asked Alex

"Danny Tucker. Looks like he was only in for 2 months." said Garcia

"Well, it's long enough to tell stories to John Myers." said Hotch

"Hey, his family owns property near where you are. It's really secluded, too." said Garcia

"With local honey, by any chance?" asked Alex

"They are known for it." said Garcia

"That's where he's headed." said Alex

"Garcia, is it a private property?" asked Hotch

"It was, but it's been sold. They're building a housing development." said Garcia

"So it's not the hideaway he hopes it's going to be." said Hotch

"Where would he go?" asked Alex

"He might blame Danny for lying to him. Garcia." said Hotch

"Danny's house is down the road from the development. I'm sending his address to your phones now." said Garcia

Hotch looked at his agents and spoke.

"All right, Dave, you and Reid go to the site. The rest of us will go to Danny's house." said Hotch

Spencer got out of his chair and grabbed a Kevlar vest before following Rossi to an SUV.

* * *

Alex looked at Spencer who sat down with a cup of coffee.

"Are you and Olivia still planning that Piper starts learning sign language in a few months?" asked Alex

"Olivia and I are planning on it." said Spencer as he used sign language

Morgan looked at Spencer.

"You never told me that you know sign language." said Morgan

Hotch shook his head and looked at Morgan.

"I knew since it's mentioned in Reid's file in the section that includes languages he is fluent in." said Hotch

At that moment Spencer's phone vibrated, and he smiled when he saw a picture of Piper.

"I know what that smile means." said Hotch

"A picture of Piper?" asked Morgan

"Yep." said Spencer as he passed his phone around

"I am glad that you sent me pictures of Piper everyday while I was in London." said Morgan

"Emily told me that she expects a picture of Piper sent to her everyday from either Olivia or me." said Spencer

"I don't blame her because she wants pictures of Henry everyday too." said JJ

"She also told me to send her pictures of Jack." said Hotch

Spencer looked at the picture of Piper on his phone and spoke up.

"I can't wait to go home to my two girls since this has been the longest I have been away from Piper." said Spencer

Hotch looked at Spencer and JJ.

"I am going to see if we can all be office bound for the remainder of the week." said Hotch

"I still have to deal with jet lag from spending two weeks in London." said Morgan

* * *

Spencer entered the bullpen with Alex, Rossi, and JJ and, stopped when Strauss approached them.

"Don't tell me there's another one." said Rossi, knowing that JJ and Spencer are eager to go home to their families

"There's always another one." said Strauss as she noticed how exhausted Rossi, Spencer, and JJ looked

"I told you we should have just gotten into our cars." said Rossi as Spencer smirked

"Where are we off to now?" asked JJ

"Home. You need to spend at least one night in your own beds." said Strauss, seeing the relieved look on Spencer's face

"You don't have to tell me twice." said Rossi as he walked away

"Uh, yeah. Wait for me." said JJ as she followed Rossi

"Thanks." said Spencer as he nodded at Strauss before meeting JJ and Rossi at the elevators

As Spencer exited the elevator with JJ and Rossi, he pulled out his cellphone and called Olivia.

"You back in Quantico?" asked Olivia as she fastened the straps of Piper's diaper

"I am heading to my car right now and coming home." said Spencer

"That's great." said Olivia as she smiled down at her nearly two month old daughter who was closing her eyes

"How's Piper?" asked Spencer

"She's falling asleep right now, but she is going to be excited when she's in your arms again." said Olivia as she placed her cellphone between her ear and shoulder, gently picked up Piper and placed her in her crib

"Have you made dinner yet?" asked Spencer as he waved at the security guards

"When you told me that you are coming home tonight, I decided to eat a sandwich so I can cook dinner for us when you get home." said Olivia

"You didn't have to, Livy." said Spencer

"I know that you are tired of take out and diner food right now, and I haven't even started dinner yet." said Olivia

"What are you making?" asked Spencer

"What do you want to eat?" asked Olivia

"I could go for your taco salad." said Spencer

"Then I will make my famous taco salad." said Olivia

"Well I am by my car right now, so I will be home in about an hour." said Spencer

"I can't wait, and I have a surprise for you." said Olivia as she looked at the lingerie that she bought after Dr. Carter gave her the all clear

"What's the surprise?" asked Spencer

"I'm not telling you, but get home as fast as you can without getting into an accident." said Olivia before hanging up so she could put on the lingerie and her bath robe so she could start cooking dinner

Spencer shook his head as he placed his go bag in his car.

* * *

An hour later Spencer entered the house and heard Olivia's voice from the kitchen.

"Put your dirty laundry in the laundry room and your revolver in its safe before coming in here." shouted Olivia

"OK." said Spencer as he walked into the laundry room and placed his dirty laundry in the hamper before heading upstairs

Three minutes later Spencer entered the kitchen, only to find Olivia putting dinner on the table while only wearing her bath robe.

"Welcome home, Spencer." said Olivia as she kissed her husband before motioning for him to sit down

"Why are you wearing a robe?" asked Spencer as he sat down on the dining room chair

"You want to find out now or after eating dinner?" asked Olivia

"Now please." said Spencer

Olivia smirked at her husband's curiosity as she removed her robe, causing Spencer to groan when he saw the lingerie that she was wearing.

"Bedroom now." groaned Spencer

Olivia quickly put a hand on her husband's chest and quickly sat down on his lap.

"Not so fast." purred Olivia as she positioned herself so she could be straddling him in the chair "We have to eat dinner first before we celebrate your homecoming after you have been away for a week."

"I will stay sitting as long as you feed me yourself." growled Spencer

Olivia smirked at her husband's request as she shifted, knowing that she is causing her husband's lower body to react based on the groans he was letting out.

"I was planning on it since you have been a very good husband since Piper's birth nearly two months ago, so I needed to give you some special attention." smirked Olivia as she started feeding her husband while making sure she ate herself

As soon as they were done eating, Olivia got off the chair and giggled at how turned on her husband got based on the position they ate dinner in.

"I have more plans for you, but I think we will be more comfortable in the bedroom based on how tight your pants look right now." smirked Olivia as she pulled on her robe

Spencer got out of the chair, scooped up Olivia and carried her bridal style up the stairs. He set her down so she could check on Piper while he headed into the bedroom.

"Protection?" asked Spencer as Olivia walked into the bedroom

"I'm on the pill again until we're ready to have another baby, and I saw Dr. Carter while you were in Seattle." said Olivia as she started untying her husband's tie "We have a few hours before I have to feed Piper again." said Olivia as she tossed Spencer's tie aside before working on his shirt

* * *

Three hours later Spencer and Olivia were laying in bed and Olivia looked at her husband who was covered in sweat.

"Was that a nice welcome home surprise?" asked Olivia

"Yep." said Spencer

Olivia looked at the alarm clock and saw that it was already 12 AM.

"We should shower and get some sleep before Piper wakes me up for her 2 AM feeding." said Olivia

"And I have work tomorrow." grumbled Spencer as he helped Olivia get out of bed.

"But at least we got to let out the sexual frustration that we were both holding back." smirked Olivia as she led her husband to the bathroom since he couldn't see at all

* * *

Spencer and Olivia woke up to Piper's crying, and Olivia looked at her husband.

"You should go change her diaper since I dealt with feeding and burping her two hours ago." said Olivia

"OK." said Spencer as he got out of bed, walked to his daughter's nursery and scooped up his crying daughter "It's alright. Daddy's going to get you a clean diaper." he soothed as he placed her on the changing table

Piper stopped crying when she recognized her daddy's touch, and she happily cooed at him as her way to welcome him home.

"Let's get you back into your crib." said Spencer  
As soon as Spencer set Piper in her crib, she started crying, causing Spencer to lift her up again to quiet her down as he sat in the rocking chair.

"You missed me." said Spencer as he rocked Piper

Piper gurgled happily at him.

"I missed you too." said Spencer

Piper let out a yawn to let her daddy know that she wants to go back to bed.

"Let's get you back in your crib so I can go back to bed myself since I have to go back to work." said Spencer

Piper started crying when her daddy said crib and Spencer shook his head.

"Want to sleep on my chest again?" asked Spencer

Piper stopped crying instantly, but smiled at her daddy.

"I take that as a yes." chuckled Spencer as he got out of the rocking chair and carried Piper to his and Olivia's bedroom

Olivia was sitting up in bed when Spencer came back into the bedroom with Piper in his arms.

"Based on hearing you and Piper through the baby monitor, our daughter really missed you while you were away." said Olivia as Spencer got into bed with Piper

"I missed the both of you." said Spencer as he made sure that Piper was in a position that allowed her to breathe

"I found out when I was driving home that my teammates and I are going to be office bound for the remainder of the week." said Spencer as he gently rubbed Piper's back, causing her to go to sleep

Olivia looked at the alarm clock seeing that it was nearing 4 AM.

"We need to get some sleep due to Piper needing to be fed in an hour, and you have work at 9 AM." said Olivia as she kissed her husband before laying down herself

* * *

Spencer headed straight to the coffee maker when he arrived at work, and Morgan smirked at him when he noticed all the sugar he was putting into his coffee.

"I bet two certain girls kept you busy when you got home yesterday evening with how tired you look." smirked Morgan

"I don't know what your talking about." muttered Spencer as his face heated up

"With how red your face is becoming, that tells me that you got to release the sexual frustration that you have been forced to hold back since Piper's birth two months ago." smirked Morgan

"A gentleman never kisses and tells." mumbled Spencer as he tried to walk away from Morgan

"You have more game than me kid since you have a wife and daughter to go home to, but if you need a sitter just let me know playa." smirked Morgan as he followed

Spencer to his desk

Spencer smirked to himself as he looked at JJ.

"Hey JJ." said Spencer

"Yes Spence?" asked JJ

"Would you mind watching Piper for a few hours this evening while I take Olivia out for dinner?" asked Spencer

JJ inwardly smirked when she noticed the look on Morgan's face, so she knew right away that Spencer was paying Morgan back for his teasing.

"I would love to watch my goddaughter for a few hours so you and Olivia can have a date night." smiled JJ

"What about me babysitting Piper?" asked Morgan

Spencer turned around and looked at Morgan and whispered.

"I'd rather have someone who doesn't tease me about my sex life with Olivia babysit Piper."

JJ looked at Spencer.

"Should Will, Henry, and I babysit Piper at your house, or will you and Olivia drop Piper off at my house?" asked JJ

"How about your house." said Spencer while remembering Will telling him that he put Henry's crib back together and placed it in the guest bedroom for when Piper comes over

"How about Piper stays the night, and I drop her off after breakfast." said JJ

"That would be wonderful." said Spencer as he picked up his phone so he could make reservations for Olivia's favorite restaurant before sending a text to Olivia

WHEN I COME HOME TONIGHT, PIPER IS GOING TO SLEEP OVER AT JJ AND WILL'S WHILE WE HAVE A MUCH NEEDED DATE NIGHT. ~ SR

A few minutes later Olivia replied.

WHAT SHOULD I WEAR? ~ OR

Spencer quickly replied.

I AM WEARING A SUIT WITH A TIE THAT MATCHES WHATEVER DRESS YOU DECIDE TO WEAR, BUT WEAR COMFORTABLE SHOES SINCE WE ARE GOING TO THAT PARK THAT IS HAVING A BAND PLAYING BIG BAND MUSIC THIS EVENING AFTER DINNER. ~ SR

A few minutes later Olivia replied.

CAN WE SWING DANCE TONIGHT? ~ OR

Spencer shook his head before replying with a quote from a movie they watched together.

AS YOU WISH~ SR


	6. Date Night and A Trip to Vegas

Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds

 _A/N: Shout out to Snowdrop65 for being the 25th reviewer, and also a shout out to tannerose5, OhSnapItsMadison, Hippichic81, Mrs. JaganshiReidofHufflepuff for reviewing chapter 5._

 _This chapter takes place the same day as the ending of the previous chapter._

* * *

Spencer took his finished consults to Hotch's office, and Hotch looked at Spencer.

"I was about to call you to my office." said Hotch

"Is something wrong?" asked Spencer as he shut the door before sitting down in front of Hotch's desk

Hotch had to hide a smile at his youngest agent's nervousness.

"Not at all, but I decided to give you all of next week off for you can spend more time with your parents." said Hotch

"I will tell Olivia that I have all next week off when I take her out for dinner tonight." said Spencer

"Have a babysitter for tonight?" asked Hotch

"Piper is going to sleep over at JJ's and Will's for Olivia and I can have a baby free night." said Spencer

"Hopefully I will get a chance to babysit Piper." said Hotch

"You can babysit Piper next." laughed Spencer

* * *

Spencer was tucking in his white dress shirt into his black dress pants when he saw Olivia walk out of the bathroom wearing a red dress while her hair was in an high ponytail.

"You look beautiful." said Spencer as he admired Olivia's dress

"I am almost back to the weight I was at before becoming pregnant with Piper, but I am feeling self conscious about the changes that being pregnant with Piper did to my body." said Olivia as she helped Spencer put on his red tie

"You still look beautiful to me." said Spencer as he kissed Olivia

As they broke from their kiss, Olivia reached out and straightened Spencer's glasses.

"And you look handsome yourself." said Olivia before straightening her husband's tie

"We should get Piper to JJ's and Wills since our reservations are at 6:30 PM and the concert starts at 7:30 PM." said Spencer

* * *

Spencer rang the doorbell of JJ's and Will's house, and JJ opened up the door.

"Come on in guys." said JJ as she took the car seat from Spencer while allowing Olivia and Spencer into her house and she smiled at her sleeping goddaughter before looking at Spencer and Olivia "You two look great."

"Thanks." said Spencer and Olivia in unison

Spencer looked at JJ.

"Where's Will and Henry?" asked Spencer

"Right now they are at the park because I had a feeling that Piper would be sleeping, and Will is letting Henry know what's going on." said JJ

Spencer looked at his watch and spoke up.

"Our dinner reservations starts in a half hour." said Spencer

"Everything that Piper needs is in that bag." said Olivia before she started telling JJ about the routine that Piper has and what to do to make her stop crying

JJ looked at Spencer and Olivia.

"You two should go make your dinner reservations, and if there's a problem either Will and I will call you." said JJ

"Thanks for allowing Piper to sleep over." said Olivia as she and Spencer kissed their daughter goodbye before letting themselves out with JJ holding Piper while watching Spencer and Olivia leave

* * *

Spencer and Olivia entered the restaurant, and Spencer looked at the hostess.

"Reservation for Spencer Reid." said Spencer

"Your table is ready sir." smiled the hostess as she led Spencer and Olivia to their table

* * *

Spencer looked at Olivia as their appetizers came.

"I have a surprise for you." said Spencer

"What is it?" asked Olivia

"On Saturday we are going to Las Vegas, and we are going to be there until next week Saturday." said Spencer

"I was hoping that we would go to Las Vegas before I start work again." said Olivia

"Did you get our plane tickets yet?" asked Olivia

At that moment Spencer's phone vibrated and he saw a text from Rossi.

YOUR FLIGHT IS ON SATURDAY AT 9 AM SINCE ITS A LONG FLIGHT. ~ DR

"Our flight is on Saturday morning at 9 AM, and Rossi decided to pay for the plane tickets while refusing to take no for an answer." said Spencer

"We might have to get him something special for Christmas this year." said Olivia

At that moment the waitress brought over their dinner, and Spencer and Olivia enjoyed eating dinner while talking and laughing.

* * *

Spencer and Olivia arrived at the park where they saw that band setting up, and Spencer looked at Olivia as they sat on one of the benches by the gazebo.

"Are you sure that you want to dance tonight?" asked Spencer as he wrapped an arm around Olivia

"We both know how much I love big band music, and you picked up on swing dancing very quickly when I taught you how to swing dance in my apartment in Pasadena." said Olivia as she snuggled into her husband's side

"I will do anything for you." said Spencer

"And I will never make you quit your job unless you decide to leave your job, but how do you think Piper is doing?" asked Olivia

"I think she's doing fine, and if there was something wrong JJ would call us. This is our first date night since Piper's birth, and I have dealt with being away from both you and Piper while I travel for work." said Spencer

A few minutes later the band was tuning their instruments and Spencer who recognized the song got up and held his hand out to Olivia.

"May I have this dance?" asked Spencer

"Yes." said Olivia as Spencer helped her up

A minute later, Spencer and Olivia were on the makeshift dance floor swing dancing to the live music.

"It feels so nice to be doing this again." smiled Olivia as she followed her husband's lead

"I second that." said Spencer as he spun Olivia

During the next few minutes Spencer concentrated leading Olivia in a bunch of swing dance moves until the song was over and the audience who was watching Spencer, Olivia, and other couples dance were clapping.

"Another song?" asked Olivia

"Sure." grinned Spencer as the next song started playing

As Spencer and Olivia spent the next two hours dancing, they didn't even realize that someone was taking their pictures in a car.

* * *

After two hours of dancing, Olivia let out a yawn.

"We should head home Livy." said Spencer

A few minutes later Spencer and Olivia were driving home, and Olivia looked at Spencer.

"Since its only 10 PM, do you think we have time to take a bubble bath together before going to bed?" asked Olivia

"Sure." said Spencer

* * *

An hour later Spencer and Olivia were in their bed sleeping.

* * *

Meanwhile John Curtis stood in a dark room hanging the pictures that he took of Dr. Reid and his wife swing dancing during the date night he witnessed a few hours ago. Then he turned his head to the pictures he took of the young agent leaving the hospital with his wife and newborn daughter and other pictures of the Reid family that he took on outings that he tailed Dr. Reid and his family on.

* * *

Olivia opened up the door to allow JJ and Piper inside the house.

"Piper's asleep right now, but she was fed and burped before I got her into my SUV." said JJ as she passed the car seat to Olivia

"Thanks for having Piper stay the night." said Olivia as she took Piper out of her carseat

"Its at least what Will and I can do since you and Spence babysat Henry a bunch of times." said JJ as she sniffed the air "Spence making breakfast?" asked JJ

"We made breakfast together, and he's just finishing up with cooking before we start eating." said Olivia as she placed Piper in her bassinet

At that moment JJ's stomach growled and Olivia giggled.

"You might as well join us." said Olivia as she led JJ to the kitchen before putting Piper in her bassinet that they kept downstairs for her

Spencer turned his head from the stove and he noticed that JJ was with Olivia.

"Fix three plates instead of two plates?" asked Spencer

"Yep." said Olivia

"What did you two make for breakfast?" asked JJ

"Scrambled eggs, bacon, and shredded hash browns from scratch." said Olivia

"I will take some scrambled eggs and some bacon." said JJ

"OK." said Spencer as he placed some scrambled eggs and bacon on a plate for JJ

"What do you guys have to drink?" asked JJ

"Almond milk, orange juice, water, coffee, and tea to drink." said Olivia

"I will take some orange juice." said JJ

"What about you Spencer?" asked Olivia as she opened up the fridge

"Almond milk please." said Spencer as he filled his plate with scrambled eggs, bacon, and shredded hash browns

"That's a lot on your plate." said JJ

"Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and I prefer that my husband eats a big breakfast just in case lunch is skipped due to a case." said Olivia as she fixed herself a plate

At that moment Spencer's stomach growled and Olivia looked at her husband.

"Eat." said Olivia

During the next 15 minutes Spencer and Olivia told JJ about how their date night went while JJ told him how Piper was before Spencer got into JJ's SUV for they could head to work.

* * *

During lunch, Spencer pulled out his phone and called his father.

"What's up Spencer?" asked William

"Olivia, Piper, and I are flying out to Vegas on Saturday and we are spending a week in Vegas since I still have quite a bit of vacation time to use up." said Spencer

"Instead of paying for a hotel, I insist that you, Olivia, and Piper stay at my house." said William

"Do you have a crib or bassinet for Piper to sleep in?" asked Spencer

"One of my coworkers gave me a crib that Piper can sleep in for you, Olivia, and Piper don't have to sleep in a hotel." said William

"OK." said Spencer

"What time is your flight arriving?" asked William

"I was thinking about renting a rental car for Olivia and I don't have to borrow your car." said Spencer

"Its your choice Spencer." said William

"I am going to rent a car." said Spencer

"OK." said William

Spencer looked at the clock realizing that his lunch break was ending in 15 minutes.

"I have to get going for I can call Olivia before my lunch break is over." said Spencer

"I will see you on Saturday." said William

Spencer exchanged goodbyes with his dad before hanging up.

* * *

The next day, Spencer looked at Morgan who was fixing himself a cup of coffee.

"Morgan, can you do a favor for Olivia and me?" asked Spencer

"Does it deal with the week long vacation Hotch is forcing you to take?" asked Morgan

"Olivia, Piper, and I will need a ride to the airport on Saturday." said Spencer

"What about Einstein?" asked Morgan

"He is staying at Rossi's since he gets along with Mudgie." said Spencer

"I will be glad to give you and your two girls a ride to the airport." said Morgan

"I owe you one man." said Spencer

"I will keep that in mind." said Morgan who was already thinking about the FBI/Secret Service softball game that will probably need an extra body in early November

* * *

"Who is picking you up when you guys fly back?" asked Morgan as he helped Spencer take the bags to the luggage drop off area as Olivia got Piper situated in her stroller

"Rossi is." said Spencer

"Now you two have fun, and don't think about work Spencer." said Morgan

"Thanks for the ride man." said Spencer

"You better bring me back a souvenir." said Morgan

"We are getting everyone souvenirs." said Olivia as she hugged Morgan

An hour later Spencer and Olivia were in the air, and Spencer looked at Piper who was asleep in her car seat between them.

"Hopefully Piper will sleep during the entire flight." said Spencer

"Well if she gets fussy, we just have to set her in your arms." teased Olivia

At that moment a flight attendant came over to them.

"How many months is she?" asked the attendant

"She's two months old, and we are taking her to visit her grandparents." said Olivia

"She's a beautiful baby girl." said the attendant before she asked Spencer and Olivia if they needed anything

* * *

Spencer, Olivia, Ethel, and William entered Bennington while Olivia carried Piper's car seat and the receptionist smiled at the Reid family.

"Let me get a closer look at Piper first before I find out Diana's location." said Amy

Olivia grinned as she placed Piper's car seat on the desk, and Amy smiled at Spencer and Olivia.

"Piper's more beautiful in person." said Amy

"You seen pictures?" asked Olivia

"I show Amy every new picture I have of Piper when I come visit Diana." said William as he picked up his granddaughter's car seat

"And Diana will tell anyone about her granddaughter." said Amy as she looked up Diana's location "As of right now, Diana is eating lunch but as soon as she is done she will be escorted to her room where you guys will be visiting her today." said Amy

"Thanks." said Spencer as Amy pressed the button to buzz Spencer, Olivia, Piper, Ethel, and William into the hospital

A few minutes later Spencer, Olivia, William, and Ethel were in Diana's room while Spencer had a wide awake Piper in his arms.

"Your grandmother will be in here shortly." said Spencer as he looked at his daughter

Piper happily gurgled at her daddy, and William looked at Spencer.

"With how Piper is right now, I won't be surprised if she says her first word when she is four and a half months old." said William

"I said my first word when I was four months old?" asked Spencer

"Yes." said William

At that moment Spencer heard his mother's voice.

"I want to hold my granddaughter right now." said Diana as she walked into her room while smiling at the sight of her son holding his daughter

"Sure mom." said Spencer as Diana sat down before he got off his mother's bed and passed Piper to her

Diana looked at her granddaughter who was wide away and gurgling at her.

"You are looking more like your parents everyday." said Diana as she stroked Piper's light brown curly hair before speaking up to you "When your daddy is home is he reading to you?" asked Diana

Piper happily gurgled at her grandmother.

"I use to read to your daddy a lot, and I hope that at some point during this visit I can read to him again." said Diana

"We are here for a week mom." said Spencer

"Good." said Diana before looking at Spencer "Are you still working on your PhD in psychology?" asked Diana

"Still working on it, but this week I am taking a break since I am on vacation." said Spencer

"How far are you now?" asked Diana

"Got 70% of it completed and its not even September yet." said Spencer

At that moment Dr. Norman came into the room and spoke up.

"I was wondering if you will all like to gather in the garden for a family photo." said Dr. Norman

"That would be wonderful." said Spencer and he looked at his aunt "Aunt Ethel you are welcome to be in the picture." said Spencer

"OK." said Ethel

10 minutes later Spencer, Olivia, Ethel, Diana, and William were gathered in the garden for a family photo while Diana held her granddaughter as Dr. Norman took a few pictures.

* * *

William was eating breakfast with his son and daughter in law, and he decided to tell them about the surprise he arranged for them.

"I made reservations for you two to spend two nights and three days by Lake Mead while I get to spend time with my granddaughter since she's too young to go camping yet." said William

"I think this camping trip will be a great idea especially since I got the all clear for moderate exercise again." said Olivia

"Are you sure that you can handle Piper for that long?" asked Spencer

"I took care of you while Diana was getting back onto her medication after you were born, and I saw the bottles that you placed in the fridge Olivia." said William

Olivia looked at Spencer.

"At least we brought clothing that is suitable for 100 degree weather." said Olivia

"So are you two going to go on that camping trip?" asked William

"We will go on that camping trip." said Spencer

"When do Spencer and I leave for our camping trip?" asked Olivia

"Tomorrow morning, and I think you two need to go shopping for supplies while I still have that tent you two can use." said William

"At least I packed my swim suit and your swim trunks, but we just have to get a lot of water, food, and sun block." said Olivia

"We definitely need sun block even though we both returned to DC with a healthy tan after our belated honeymoon in Hawaii." said Spencer

* * *

The next day Spencer and Olivia were getting into their kayaks, and Olivia looked at Spencer who was making sure that his life vest was on right.

"Same route as last time?" asked Olivia

"Yes." said Spencer as he looked at the familiar sights of the Black Canyon water trail

A few minutes later Spencer and Olivia were paddling their kayaks on Lake Mead and Spencer spoke up.

"Should we kayak for awhile before finding an empty beach where we can have a picnic lunch and go swimming?" asked Spencer as he paddled beside his wife

"As long as we are back at our tent by dinner time." said Olivia before she used her paddle and splashed water at her husband's head

Spencer gasped when he felt the cool water impacted his head and he looked at Olivia who was laughing at him.

"Its a good thing I am wearing my contacts instead of my glasses." sputtered Spencer as he shook his head

"What are you going to do?" asked Olivia

At that moment Spencer used his paddle and splashed water at Olivia.

"We should probably head to our destination." laughed Olivia

"Yeah we should." said Spencer as he and Olivia started paddling their kayaks again

After an hour of paddling, Spencer and Olivia paddled up to an empty beach and Olivia looked at Spencer.

"Lets eat our lunch before we spend some time swimming." said Olivia as she got out of her kayak and dragged it to shore

"OK, but when we go swimming we have to wear our life vests." said Spencer as he dragged his kayak to shore

A minute later Spencer and Olivia were removing their life vests, and Olivia grabbed the camera out of the bag where they placed their supplies.

"Lets take a photo of ourselves together with the lake as the background." said Olivia

"OK." said Spencer as he took their waterproof camera knowing that he had to take the picture since his arms are longer

A minute later Spencer and Olivia were grinning for their picture, and Olivia looked at the picture right away.

"That's a great picture with part of the canyon in the background." said Olivia as Spencer started going through their waterproof bag that held their lunch, water, and sun block

"Do you want me to put more sun block on you?" asked Spencer

"I rather develop a tan, and I want to see you having the tan that you developed in Hawaii again." said Olivia

Spencer shook his head before grabbing the sandwiches they packed from the waterproof storage compartment in their kayak and tossed Olivia a bottle of water.

"We need to hydrate and eat." said Spencer

"Yes sir." saluted Olivia

Spencer shook his head at Olivia's humor before he started eating his sandwich.

* * *

Two days later Spencer and Olivia entered William's house, and William who came out of the bedroom that he placed Piper's crib in spoke up.

"I just put Piper down for a nap, so while we are waiting for her to wake up you two might as well tell me about your camping trip after I help you two bring everything inside." said William

A few minutes later William was sitting in his living room with Spencer and Olivia.

"It seems like you two had a great camping trip." said William as he noticed that Spencer and Olivia ended up with a healthy tan

"We spent a lot of time outdoors, and only stayed in our tent to sleep." said Spencer

"So what did you two do?" asked William

"During the first day of our camping trip we spent a day kayaking and only to stop at a beach for a picnic lunch and go swimming." said Spencer

"And during our second day we went horse back riding and zip-lining." said Olivia

"What did you two do during your third day?" asked William

"We rented two bikes and went bike riding." said Spencer

"And at night we did some star gazing since you told us to take your telescope." said Olivia

"Glad that you two made the most of the camping trip." said William

"How was Piper while we were gone?" asked Spencer

"She reminds me so much about how you were when you were a baby." said William

"Did you take her anywhere?" asked Spencer

"I took her to work everyday, and my colleagues were fighting over who gets to hold her." laughed William

"My teammates like to fight over who gets to hold Piper while Piper just prefers to be in my arms." laughed Spencer

"And I took Piper to see your mom everyday, and your mom didn't even have an episode around Piper." said William

At that moment Piper started crying through the baby monitor, and Spencer spoke up.

"I will get her." said Spencer as he got off the couch

"She will probably need a diaper change since I fed and burped her before putting her down for a nap." said William

"OK." said Spencer

A minute later Spencer looked at his daughter who was laying in a crib.

"Hey there Piper." said Spencer as he scooped Piper up from her crib

Piper started gurgling at her daddy.

"You missed mommy and me?" asked Spencer as he started changing Piper's diaper

Piper cooed at her daddy.

"I take that as a yes." laughed Spencer as he tossed the diaper in the garbage can and scooped up Piper "Your mommy and I went camping for a few days, so that was why you stayed with your grandpa. Did you have fun with your grandpa?" asked Spencer

Piper smiled at her daddy and started gurgling happily at her daddy.

"I bet you want your mama since she missed you as much as I did." said Spencer as he carried Piper out of the bedroom and headed towards the living room where he saw Olivia who motioned him to pass him Piper

Piper looked at her mommy and started gurgling at her.

"I missed you too Piper." said Olivia

At that moment Piper started crying and Olivia looked at Spencer and Olivia.

"Let's get you a snack." said Olivia as she got off the couch and headed to the guest bedroom where she could feed Piper in private

* * *

The following Monday, Spencer entered the bullpen and Alex greeted him first.

"Welcome back." said Alex noticing how relaxed Spencer looked

"Thanks." smiled Spencer as he placed his messenger bag on his chair and pulled out a the photos that were taken

"Have a nice time in Vegas?" asked Alex

"Very." said Spencer as he passed the photos that were taken "Olivia and I took a lot of pictures." said Spencer

Alex looked at the photos and she noticed family photos and pictures of Spencer and Olivia at popular tourist attractions.

"Those are some nice pictures." said Alex

"Thanks." smiled Spencer

At that moment Morgan came over to Spencer and Alex.

"With that tan you got there Pretty Boy it seems like you spent a lot of time in the sun." said Morgan

"My dad sent Olivia and me on a two night and three day camping trip by Lake Mead, and we spent three days swimming, kayaking, horseback riding, and zip-lining while my dad took care of Piper." said Spencer as he passed the photos that one of their guides taken for them

"Must have been a fun camping trip." said Morgan as he looked at the photos of Spencer and Olivia doing various activities

"Olivia and I had a blast even though we had to stay hydrated due to it being over 100 degrees outside." said Spencer

"I am not even sure if I could handle camping near the desert like you did kid." said Morgan

"It helped that Olivia and I are both grew up near the desert so we know how to adapt to the weather especially since we wore hats and wore sunblock to protect ourselves from the harmful UV rays." said Spencer

At that moment Garcia and JJ came into the bullpen.

"Your back." squealed Garcia as she rushed over to Spencer and hugged him before allowing JJ to hug him

"I have pictures from my vacation that you ordered me to take." said Spencer as he passed the photos to Garcia who started looking at them right away

"Those are some nice family photos you got there." said Garcia

"Dr. Norman insisted that he should take a Reid family photo to help my mom remember this visit." said Spencer

JJ look looked at Spencer.

"Will, Henry, and I are leaving for Pennsylvania this evening since my mom has been begging to see Henry." said JJ

"At least we are trying to use up vacation time before the school year starts up." said Spencer

"Yeah." said JJ

At that moment Hotch came over to Spencer, JJ, Alex, Garcia, and Morgan.

"Get to work and Reid can tell us about his vacation during lunch in the conference room today." said Hotch


	7. The Pact Part 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds.

 _A/N: Shout out to Fashionista7, OhSnapItsMadison, tannerose5, Hippichic81, Mrs. JaganshiReidofHufflepuff, and snowdrop65 for reviewing chapter 6._

 _Sorry that this chapter is on the shorter side again, but I promise that the next chapter will be a bit longer since it will involve Spencer's and Olivia's one year wedding anniversary._

* * *

The photographer looked at Spencer.

"How about you sit here and hold Piper in your arms while gazing down at her." said the photographer

Spencer followed the photographer's instructions, and two minutes later he heard the flash of the camera.

"How about one of me kissing Piper's head?" asked Spencer as the photographer looked at his computer to make sure he doesn't have to retake that photo

"That would be a good one." said the photographer

A few minutes later the photographer got a good photo of Spencer kissing Piper's head, and Spencer looked at the photographer.

"How about one of me laying down while Piper lays on top of me?" asked Spencer as he showed the photographer one of the many pictures of him and Piper on his phone

"Sure." said the photographer

"Do you want me on my back with Piper on my chest, or do you want me on my stomach with Piper laying on my back?" asked Spencer

"How about we do both." suggested the photographer

10 minutes later the photographer was done taking pictures of Spencer and Piper in those positions and looked at the clock.

"My session with you two is now over, and you should be able to pick up these photos in two weeks." said the photographer as he showed Spencer the pictures that he has taken as Spencer placed Piper in her car seat

"If I can't pick them up myself, I am going to have my coworker Penelope Garcia come pick them up since this is my one year wedding anniversary gift for my wife." said Spencer as he gave the photographer Garcia's number

* * *

Three weeks later Spencer was sitting at the round table with Morgan, JJ, and Alex and Alex looked at Spencer.

"With your one year wedding anniversary coming up next week, have you and Olivia made any plans other than exchanging gifts?" asked Alex

"Hotch and Jack are going to stay at my house to watch Piper and Einstein while Olivia and I spend a weekend at a bed and breakfast that Rossi recommended I take Olivia to." said Spencer

"Does Olivia know about your plans yet?" asked JJ

"Not yet." said Spencer

"My lips are sealed kid." said Morgan

At that moment Spencer, JJ, Morgan, and Alex heard Garcia's voice.

"Come on, Rossi." pleaded Garcia

"I don't want to use them." said Rossi

"I don't even understand you." said Garcia as Spencer turned his head "It's a vacation, Rossi. Everyone likes vacation."

"Vacations are overrated." said Rossi

"Didn't you take a vacation two years ago?" asked Spencer as Rossi took a seat next to him

"Luckily, two days in I was called back." said Rossi

"Yeah, and now he's got 31 days." said Garcia

"A month?" asked Alex

"You know, sunshine is an essential source of vitamin D. You should go to Florida and get some sunshine." said Spencer

"That's for old guys." said Rossi

"What about a safari in Africa?" asked Morgan

"Too hot." said Rossi

"How about Italy?" asked Spencer

"Too many relatives." said Rossi

"You sound hermetic." said Alex

"No, Rossi just likes his wine and stogies." said JJ

"And I go crazy if I have nothing to do." said Rossi

"You know, Rossi, if you don't use 'em, you lose 'em." said Morgan

"Thank you. This is what I've been telling him." said Garcia

"See this? This is my "I don't care" face." said Rossi as he held his hands in the air

"That's your normal face." said JJ as she pointed her pen at Rossi

"If I were you, I'd give your vacation days away to a colleague in need." said Alex as Spencer looked at Rossi

Rossi snapped his fingers at Alex's idea.

"Garcia, see how many people in the Bureau have spouses in the military serving overseas." said Rossi

Garcia smiled at Rossi's idea.

"I am on it. Altruism is sexy." said Garcia as Hotch walked into the room

"Yes, it is." said Hotch before getting serious "Let's get started."

"Yes sir." said Garcia as she grabbed her tablet "All right, crime-fighters, last night, two victims, Brenda Wipley and Mark Coleman were found murdered hours apart, one in San Diego, one in Los Angeles. They were blitz-attacked and they were chained to a car where they were dragged alive to their deaths. And the local P. D. does not believe the victims knew each other." said Garcia

"And both received similar text messages last night from prepaid phones asking them to meet." said Alex

"So our unsub's a friend or at least pretends to be one." said Morgan

"Based on how they were killed, he wanted to see them suffer." said Rossi

"He's sadistic."

"Mm-hmm. And mission oriented." said Alex

"Dragging's usually associated with hate crimes, but neither victim was a minority nor gay." said Hotch

"Actually, dragging is steeped in English history. Back in the 11th Century, drawing and quartering was a common form of punishment, and in fact, they would also disembowel and behead the victims when they were done with them." said Spencer

"But that didn't happen here." said Alex as she looked at a crime scene photo

"Maybe this is just a serial killer who crosses city lines." said Rossi

"I don't know. Two victims in 3 hours? That's a spree." said JJ

"Our unsub may claim another victim soon." said Spencer

"Which is why we're headed west. We'll land in Orange County, half of us will go to San Diego, the other half L. A. Wheels up in 30." said Hotch

A few minutes later Spencer was sitting at his desk. He pulled out his cellphone and called Olivia.

"Have a case?" asked Olivia as she started gathering her materials for her next class

"Going to Southern California." said Spencer

"So you are going to be three hours behind Piper and I." said Olivia

"Yeah." sighed Spencer

"We will make it work so you can hear Piper before I put her down for the night." soothed Olivia as she looked at the clock

"I know." said Spencer

"I have to get going since my next class starts in 10 minutes, but can we Skype later?" asked Olivia

"I will try and find some time since I have both my laptop and tablet, but please make sure to send me a lot of pictures of Piper." said Spencer

"I will, but please stay safe." said Olivia

"I promise." said Spencer

"I love you." said Olivia

"I love you too, and please give Piper a kiss for me later." said Spencer

"I will, and you better give me one when you get back." said Olivia

"I will." said Spencer before hanging up with Olivia and Alex looked at him

"Still isn't easy to leave them?" asked Alex

"I have been back at work for two months already, and Piper just turned three months old yesterday." sighed Spencer as he made sure he had everything he needs including his tablet and laptop

"Bringing your tablet?" asked Alex

"Last week Garcia helped Olivia and me hook up a baby monitor by Piper's crib so I can check on her when Olivia tells me that she's sleeping." said Spencer as he used his tablet and pulled up the video feed of Piper's crib

"Not a bad idea." said Alex

Spencer closed down the app, and a few minutes later he was heading to the elevators with his teammates.

* * *

After everyone got themselves something to drink, Hotch sat by Spencer who was sitting on the long couch near their teammates.

"All right, let's go to victimology. Neither of the victims was sexually assaulted or robbed." said Hotch

"Well, Brenda was a teacher and a mother of two. She went to meet a friend that night." said JJ as she sat down next to Alex with a cup of coffee

"Mm-hmm. And her husband backs the story." said Alex

"And the other victim, Mark Coleman, was an addict." said Hotch as he quickly glanced at Reid

"He was killed in the parking lot of a drugstore around the corner from the sober living house." said Morgan

"A woman with no apparent addiction issues and a tweaker in a sober living house? They probably don't know each other." said JJ

Rossi looked at Garcia who was currently video chatting with them.

"Garcia, did the unsub call the victims on the disposable cells prior to that night?" asked Rossi

Garcia started typing.

"Let's see. In the last few weeks, he called each of the victims over two times a day." said Garcia

"That's not random. It's hunting." said Hotch

"Without phone transcripts, it's going to be hard to understand what the unsub's ruse was." said Morgan

"Well, it ended pretty bad. Tying someone to the back of a car is horrific and uncharacteristically high-risk behavior." said Alex

"It was pure torture. Skin was scraped off, bones were broken." said Spencer

"That's about desecrating the body." said Rossi

"Well, our unsub is comfortable using chains and hitching equipment." said JJ

"You know, the crimes could have been committed to promote fear." said Morgan

"All right, just can we rewind for a second? Is it possible to kill someone in San Diego and then drive 2 1/2 hours up to L. A. and then do it again?" asked Alex

Spencer decided to answer since he spent nine years in Southern California going to Cal-tech.

"If you drove a V8 engine with a single plane crankshaft 80 miles per hour in good traffic, you took the I-5 to the 405 to the 10 east, got off on La Cienega, went right on Washington, north on Vermont, and then snuck up Selma using the back alley, you could do it in an hour, 42 minutes, and still have time for tacos." said Spencer as everyone smiled or shook their heads

"Wow." whispered Alex

"Yeah." whispered JJ

"JJ, you and Morgan go to the latest crime scene. Dave, you and Blake to San Diego to the medical examiner's, and Reid and I will go to the LAPD." said Hotch

JJ looked at Spencer.

"Tacos?" asked JJ

"Olivia and I made tacos for dinner last night, and I was thinking about the leftovers that are still in the fridge." said Spencer causing his stomach to growl

Hotch looked at Spencer after he heard Spencer's stomach make noises.

"Did your stomach growl due to being hungry or did you eat too much dairy again?" asked Hotch

"I'm just hungry for tacos." said Spencer causing snickers to erupt all around

"How about during the drive to LA we get something to go." said Hotch, while knowing that the others are going to grab something to go after leaving the airport

"Can we get tacos?" asked Spencer causing laughter from Morgan, JJ, Alex, and Rossi as Hotch shook his head when he noticed the puppy dog eye look that Spencer was giving him

"It's going to be hard for you to say no in a few years when Piper gives you that puppy dog eye look that you are currently giving me." said Hotch causing everyone to laugh

* * *

After Spencer was finished eating his late lunch, his cellphone vibrated causing him to smile when he saw a text from Olivia.

I JUST PUT PIPER IN HER CRIB FOR A NAP, SO YOU CAN NOW SEE HER SLEEPING YOURSELF SINCE I TURNED ON THE VIDEO MONITOR. ~ OR

Spencer quickly typed a reply.

OK. ~ SR

Spencer quickly pulled out his tablet and opened the app that gave him access to Piper's web cam baby monitor. He smiled at the sight of his sleeping daughter.

"What are you looking at?" asked Hotch

"Live feed of Piper sleeping in her crib." said Spencer

"So you and Olivia got one of those baby monitors." said Hotch

"Garcia said that she considers setting up that baby monitor an early birthday present for me since my 31st birthday is in 21 days." said Spencer

"I think that everyone is trying to make sure that we don't miss your birthday this year like we did last year." said Hotch while remembering that Garcia made sure everyone marked their calendars so they didn't forget this year

At that moment Hotch pulled up at a stop light, and Spencer showed him the video feed he was looking at.

"She's getting bigger." said Hotch as he looked at his sleeping goddaughter

"According to Dr. Carter, Piper is growing right on schedule." said Spencer

"What about intellectual milestones?" asked Hotch as he started driving again

"She started babbling yesterday." said Spencer

"At three months old?" asked Hotch

"I was already babbling at three months old, and my dad said I was four and a half months old when I said my first word." said Spencer

"Seems like Piper is going to be a genius like her father." said Hotch

"I think so too, but she can't have her first IQ test until she's five." said Spencer

* * *

As Spencer and Hotch entered the police station, Spencer was carrying a box when Detective Pratt approached them.

"Hi, I'm Detective Pratt. You must be SSA Hotchner." said Detective Pratt as she shook hands with Hotch

"I am." said Hotch before gesturing Spencer "This is Dr. Spencer Reid." said Hotch

"Pleasure." said Spencer as he as he and Hotch followed Detective Pratt to the room that she was allowing them to use

"Well, I've talked to San Diego PD. They sent over everything on the first victim Brenda Wipley's case. And Mr. Coleman's updated file's on the conference room table." said Detective Pratt

"I'll start looking them over." said Spencer

"Now, should we notify the press that we're looking for a spree killer?" asked Detective Pratt

"Not until we know exactly what we're looking for." said Hotch

"OK. You guys can set up right in here." said Detective Pratt as she showed Spencer and Hotch the empty conference room before walking to her desk

"Thank you." said Hotch as his cellphone indicated a text message and he told Reid what Morgan and JJ found out "Morgan and JJ think that maybe our second victim Mark went to meet a drug dealer. Have you gotten the tox screens back?" asked Hotch

"Neither of the victims had drugs in their system." said Spencer

"It doesn't mean he didn't go meet a dealer." said Hotch

"But a drug dealer doesn't call you twice a day for two weeks. Usually you call him." said Spencer

At that moment Hotch's cellphone rang and he put it on speaker so Spencer could hear.

"Go ahead, Garcia." said Hotch

"The path of my cyber sleuthing has had majestic results. Digging into victim number two's past, it turns out meth isn't the only thing Mark Coleman has done. He also changed his last name." said Garcia

"From what?" asked Hotch

"Logan. And that's where the plot thickens like a bad pudding. So when Mark was a junior in college, he gets picked up by police on a drug charge. They find some articles of clothing of a missing 8-year-old girl named Kelly Taylor in his car. They are covered with Mark's DNA. After a lengthy interrogation, he confesses to sexually assaulting her, but denies killing her, and because her body was never found, they couldn't link him to the disappearance." said Garcia

"What's he been doing since he got out?" asked Hotch

"Eating hamburgers. He got released a month ago. Since then he's worked at 3 different fast food joints." said Garcia

"Send me everything you've got on the case. I'll have Reid go talk to the family." said Hotch

"Yeah." said Garcia

A few seconds later Hotch gave Reid the addresses and he quickly committed them to memory and left the conference room.

* * *

Spencer entered the conference room to see JJ putting up photos on the conference room board.

"So I talked to victim number two's father. He said as far as he knew, no one was trying to get back at Mark for the rape." said Spencer as he sat down before continuing "He got out of jail last month. He was getting out more, exercising, trying to get on with his life."

"Well, I just compared photos from the first and second crime scenes." said JJ as Hotch walked into the room "The cars used to drag were different." said JJ

"Maybe the killer switched cars?" asked Spencer

"Or we're looking at two unsubs." said JJ

"What did you and Morgan find?" asked Hotch

"Well, at both crime scenes, the nearby stores were either closed or being remodeled, so the killer would have had to scope the area, lure and drag the victim without being caught." said JJ

"This guy has a lot to do. So the question remains, how can you do that twice in one night in cities over 100 miles apart?" asked Spencer

"Two unsubs would explain the evolution in M. O." said Hotch

"What did Rossi and Blake say?" asked Spencer

"The first victim Brenda was dragged postmortem. The second victim was alive." said Hotch

"So we're most likely looking at one unsub who's hesitant and another one who actually enjoys it." said JJ

Hotch looked at Reid and JJ.

"As Rossi and Blake drive out here, you two should probably call your families because I am going to use this time to talk to Jack." said Hotch

JJ smiled at Hotch before walking to an area where she could talk to Will and Henry while Spencer pulled out his laptop after sending Olivia a text, and a few minutes later he grinned when he saw Olivia and Piper.

"Hey." grinned Spencer

At that moment Piper looked at the laptop screen and started babbling away when she saw her daddy.

"You telling me about your day Piper?" asked Spencer as he made funny faces at her

At that moment Piper started laughing causing Spencer and Olivia to look at each other in shock.

"Is that her first laugh Olivia?" asked Spencer

"Yes." said Olivia as she wiped a few tears streaming down her face

"Happy tears?" asked Spencer

Olivia nodded before looking at her baby girl.

"Mommy is so proud of you baby girl." said Olivia as she kissed her daughter's head

"Daddy's proud of you too." said Spencer as he grinned at his daughter

At that moment Piper let out a yawn.

"I guess I need to disconnect this Skype session so you can get Piper to bed." said Spencer

"And I should allow you to back to work since you are currently in a police station." said Olivia

Spencer looked at his daughter who was falling asleep.

"Goodnight Piper, and daddy loves you." said Spencer before looking at his two girls "I love you both." said Spencer

"We love you too Spencer." said Olivia before signing off

* * *

 _A/N: Part 2 for The Pact is in progress._


	8. The Pact Part 2 & Married For A Year

Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds, but I do own my OCs Olivia and Piper Reid.

A/N: Shout out to OhSnapItsMadison, tannerose5, and Hippichic81 for reviewing chapter 7.

* * *

Spencer walked out of the police station with Morgan and they walked towards Hotch, JJ, and Detective Pratt.

"Well, we got something." said Morgan as Spencer handed a sheet of paper to Hotch

"The calls the unsubs made to the victims. Twice a day at night. That shows incredible persistence." said Spencer

"The first victim, Brenda, was a happily married teacher, so why would she take calls from a random man late at night?" said Morgan

"If she was cheating, she wouldn't meet someone at a restaurant near her house. I think she was meeting a woman." said Spencer

"The roommate said the second victim, Mark, in a sober living house, said that he was talking to someone online a lot lately. The night he got killed, he got dressed up like he was going out on a date." said Morgan

"And he's straight, which further confirms it was a female." said Spencer

"That would explain the blitz attacks. They weren't because our unsubs were insecure men, they were because our unsubs are women, who needed to subdue their victims first." said JJ

"We need to give the profile." said Hotch

Spencer entered the police station with Hotch, JJ, Morgan, and Detective Pratt and quickly switched his prescription sunglasses to his glasses before discussing the profile with his teammates.

* * *

"We believe that these unsubs are two women who are killing people convicted of heinous crimes. Unlike solo vigilantes, they're working in concert and they're planning and executing coordinated attacks. Their mentality is like a lynch mob. They believe the justice system has gone wrong and it's up to them to set it right." said Hotch

"Due to the pre-planning and level of commitment, we believe our unsubs are over 30. And they probably learned about the crimes they're avenging through the media." said Rossi

"It's possible they were involved in these losses personally and now feel they need to act. This latest attack felt more improvised and personal. They didn't lure their victim. Rather, they blitz attacked him outside of his job." said JJ

"Now, during a spree, the threat is that the unsub will either strike again or disappear. Now, if they've completed their vendetta, then the latter is more likely. Our unsubs may not have prior criminal histories, as they see themselves as do-gooders." said Morgan

"Based on the fact that one victim was dragged postmortem and the others were dragged alive, we believe that one woman is not as confident in the mission while the other is more domineering. We're looking for mothers, relatives, friends who have lost children." said Alex

"We also need to look at the collateral damage of the crimes our current victims committed years ago. Since this is the only thing our unsubs have in common, it tell us that as time goes on, their friendship will become strained and ultimately fall apart." finished Spencer

* * *

"So how do these unsubs meet?" asked Hotch

"Maybe they're involved in the trials." said Morgan

"In two different cities? I don't know." said Alex

"If Sam Dolan's mom was in an online support group, maybe after she killed herself, someone else became obsessed with her grief." said JJ

"Yeah, but who'd have that same level of interest?" asked Spencer

"Let me call Garcia." said Morgan as he called Garcia

They heard a beep indicating that Garcia answered their call.

"Hey, Garcia." said Morgan

"At your service." said Garcia

"Were you able to find out anything about that online support group Mrs. Dolan was in?" asked Morgan

"Uh, let me see. Uh, uh, uh, it had 200 members. It was an anonymous group." said Garcia

"Did any of them start talking about Sam Dolan about two months ago, after his mother's suicide?" asked Spencer

"OK., uh, I've got a screen name, Ellen R. From San Diego. She talked about Sam in a private chat room."

"Did Sam Dolan's mom have any friends or relatives with that name?" asked Rossi

"Yeah, she's got a sister Ellen Russell. She works in a boat shop." answered Garcia

"And that'd give her access to hitching equipment." said JJ

"Who was she interacting with in the support group?" asked Alex

"She talked to a lot of people. In the last year, she was mainly talking to a Darlene B." said Garcia

"Kelly Taylor's mom's name is Darlene." said Rossi

"What's her maiden name?" asked Hotch

"Beckett. In the last 6 months, most of their discussions have been around the pending release of Mark Coleman from prison." said Garcia

"And they probably hatched a plan." said Morgan

"We need to get search warrants for Ellen's and Darlene's houses." said Hotch

"Oh, my gosh! This just in. So when Mark was released a month ago, her and Ellen started calling him, posing as a friend." said Garcia

"That would explain the disposable cell phones." said Morgan

"That's the trigger. Mark's release set them off." said Hotch

"Yeah, right, great. So Ellen was still mad because there was no justice served for her nephew's death, and...her and Darlene must have agreed to swap revenge killings." said Garcia

"And they'd avoid getting caught." said Alex

"It's like "Strangers on a Train." said Spencer

"Yeah, but this ain't Hitchcock, folks. Why kill Paul? He was just a character witness for Mark." said Rossi

"A character witness who traveled 300 miles once a week to see his friend in prison." said Morgan

"Friends usually distance themselves from rapists and murderers." said Alex as she took a sip of her coffee

"Unless you're involved." said Spencer

"Garcia, you and JJ look into Kelly's disappearance. We need to find out how these unsubs got to Paul and anybody else who might have been involved in the case." said Hotch

* * *

Spencer entered the conference room when he heard Alex talking to Hotch.

"They found her underwear in Mark's car, which led to his confession." said Alex

"I got the lab results back from Kelly's rape. It turns out there was a second DNA sample on the underwear, but it's too degraded to make a match." said Spencer as he sat down

"Maybe the women suspected it was Paul's." said Alex as JJ entered the room

"San Diego PD just searched Ellen's house. She's not there, but they put an officer out front just in case she comes back." said JJ

"So we need to figure out who Paul was to Mark in college." said Morgan

"They ran cross-country, sometimes participating in a relay together." said Spencer

"It means they were close." said Morgan

"Don't 4 people do relays?" asked Alex

Morgan decided to call Garcia.

"Hey, baby girl." said Morgan

"Hey." said Garcia

"Listen, we need to figure out who ran in the cross-country relay with Paul Montgomery and Mark Coleman." said Morgan

Everyone heard Garcia typing before she spoke up.

"Bryce Phillips and Jason Nelson. They look inseparable." said Garcia

"And where are they now?" asked Hotch

"Bryce lives in Amsterdam, Jason in the Los Feliz area of Los Angeles." said Garcia

"And what was Jason's relationship with Mark like when he went to jail?" asked JJ

"Jason was at the hearing and he visited Mark once a week in prison, so, close?" asked Garcia

"He probably participated in the crime." said Spencer

"And our killing duo found out about it." said Alex

"That would explain the change in M. O. Maybe Mark gave a dying declaration and gave up his boys." said Morgan

"Maybe our ladies are improvising, which explains killing Paul outside his job." said Alex

"We need to get to Jason's house before they do." said Hotch

Spencer got up at the same time as his teammates and grabbed his Kevlar vest.

* * *

Spencer got out of the SUV and followed Morgan and JJ into Jason's house.

"Clear." shouted JJ as Spencer walked to the window

"Guys, there's broken glass over here." said Spencer

"And blood on the floor." said Alex

"Morgan! JJ! Search the bedrooms. Blake, check outside, see if Jason was dragged." ordered Rossi

* * *

Spencer walked over to the bookshelves and started looking at the books.

"He was into improving himself. "Let's do healthy relationships." said Spencer while thinking about the healthy relationship he has with Olivia

"Go figure." said Rossi as he found some photos "Guy seems in love."

Spencer walked over to Rossi and looked at the photos. Rossi decided to call Hotch and told him what they found.

"So nothing about Jason Nelson seems out of the ordinary?" asked Hotch through the phone

"He seems as all-American as apple pie." said Rossi

"No reports of any bodies found." said Alex as she walked over

"Maybe they haven't killed him yet." said Hotch

"We'll keep you posted." said Rossi before hanging up

At that moment Morgan and JJ came into the room

"This guy might give these ladies a run for their money." said JJ

"Trophies. Kelly wasn't the only girl." said Morgan as he showed the box to his teammates

"This is all a facade. Jason's a psychopath." said Spencer

"A psychopath versus two vigilantes. I have a feeling this is not going to end well." said Rossi

Morgan looked at Spencer and noticed the anger flashing in his eyes.

"You alright?" asked Morgan

"I just want to help catch these unsubs so I can go home and hold Piper close to me." said Spencer

* * *

"The landlord says this is Jason's storage closet." said Spencer as he and Alex shone their flashlights in the closet before Alex switched on the light

"It looks like my storage unit. My husband has so much crap, it's not funny." said Alex as she and Spencer started looking around

"Is it hard being in a relationship with someone overseas?" asked Spencer while wondering what it would be like if Olivia was overseas like James currently is

"We make it work." said Alex

"Working for Doctors Without Borders is a very noble cause. I would imagine you guys have an epistolary novel by now, though." said Spencer

"We stick to Skype. It's modern. When we're together, it's like we're dating, and when we're not, I get stuff done." said Alex before finding something that could help them "Look at this." said Alex as she showed Spencer a shovel

Spencer looked at the shovel and he recognized the soil.

"Fresh loam soil. Usually found near plains and streams. Either he was just camping..." said Spencer

"Or used it to move the body. Jason finds out his friends are killed, he might take precautions." said Alex

At that moment Spencer pulled out his cellphone and called Garcia.

"There's loam soil surrounding some Southern California beaches and also loam soil around some parks in the area." said Garcia

"What areas are near running trails?" asked Alex

"Uh, there is a trail in the Hollywood Hills area that is lousy with loam soil. And I'm sending Morgan and Rossi to the location now." said Garcia

* * *

Spencer was in the conference room with Alex, JJ, and Morgan trying to figure out where Ellen and Darlene could have gone when Detective Pratt, Hotch, and Rossi came into the room.

"I'll also put an APB out along the coast." said Detective Pratt as she, Hotch, and Rossi came into the room

"Garcia cross-checked the trophies we found at Jason's, and they match articles from 3 different missing children." said Morgan

"And have officers excavate the area around where Jason's body was found. There may be more bodies there." said Hotch

"I'm on it." said Detective Pratt as she left the room

"At least we got Jason. He could have kept killing forever." said Alex

"And the women just get away." said JJ

"Hmm. For now." said Alex as she noticed Rossi looking at something

Spencer looked at Rossi who was looking at something.

"You OK?" asked Spencer

"Yeah. Yeah." said Rossi before looking at his team "I think I know where they are heading."

Spencer looked at what Rossi was looking at before making eye contact with Rossi.

"Mexico?" asked Spencer

"I think I can use my six remaining vacation days to track them down in Mexico, so why don't the rest of you head back to DC." said Rossi while knowing that Hotch, Spencer, and JJ want to get back to their progeny

"Good thinking Dave." said Hotch

* * *

Four hours later Spencer, Hotch, Morgan, JJ, and Alex were flying back to Quantico and JJ looked at Spencer.

"Did you call Olivia and tell her that you will be home today?" asked JJ

"I actually am planning on surprising her on campus today." said Spencer

"Are you going to take Piper out of the daycare center after saying hi to Olivia?" asked Alex

"Yes I am because I really want to hold Piper close to me." said Spencer while thinking about the bodies of the little girls that were found

At that moment Hotch's cellphone vibrated and he saw a text message from Dave.

ELLEN HAS BEEN CAUGHT, AND I AM NOW SEARCHING FOR DARLENE. ~ DR

"Rossi caught Ellen, and now he is searching for Darlene." said Hotch

"Good." said Morgan

* * *

Spencer entered the lecture hall that Olivia was giving her lecture in, and slipped into the back row without her noticing. And during the last 10 minutes of her lecture he was laughing to himself that she didn't even notice he slipped into the room.

"Any questions?" asked Olivia

A bunch of students who noticed Spencer enter the room raised their hands.

"Yes Dylan?" asked Olivia

"Your husband snuck into the room and spent the last 10 minutes listening to your lecture." said Dylan

Spencer looked at Dylan who was sitting next to him.

"Way to ruin the surprise Dylan." grumbled Spencer as he got up and started walking down the stairs towards Olivia who was shaking her head

"You didn't call me to say you were going to be home from California today." said Olivia as she lightly slapped Spencer on the chest before hugging him tightly

"I wanted to surprise you after stopping at home first to drop off my bags and change." laughed Spencer as he pecked Olivia on the lips before looking at her students "I am sorry to interrupt you guys."

A student raised his hand and Olivia looked at him.

"Yes Robert?" asked Olivia before mouthing freshman to Spencer

"Are you really Professor Reid's husband?" asked Robert

"Yes I am." said Spencer

Olivia looked at her students.

"This is my husband, Supervisory Special Agent Dr. Spencer Reid who works for the FBI's Behavioral Analysis Unit in Quantico, Virginia as a profiler." said Olivia before introducing her newest students to her husband "Spencer has PhDs in mathematics, engineering, and Chemistry. He also has BAs in sociology, philosophy, and psychology that he is working on bumping up into a PhD due to his line of work." said Olivia

Spencer chuckled as a few of Olivia's students looked at him in shock.

"How did you have the time to earn all those degrees?" asked Robert

"Graduating high school at 12 and going to Cal-tech a month before my 13th birthday helps, and having an eidetic memory and a timed reading speed of 20,000 words per minute helped me earn my degrees faster. The FBI recruited me when I was 21 before getting into the BAU straight out of the academy when I was 22." said Spencer as he shook his head at the awestruck faces that a bunch of Olivia's students are showing

Olivia looked at the clock and saw that it was 1 PM, realizing that she has 15 minutes of class left and she needed to give her students the assignment she had planned.

"Are you home for the day?" asked Olivia

"I have the rest of the day off to decompress from my latest case before a day of working on my backlog of consults tomorrow." said Spencer

"How about you go check Piper out of daycare and take her home, and I will see you at 6 PM after I attend a staff meeting." suggested Olivia

"I am planning on taking Piper home because I really need to see her." whispered Spencer

Olivia made eye contact with him, and noticed a haunted look in Spencer's eyes.

"Bad case?" whispered Olivia into Spencer's ear

Spencer nodded.

"Take Piper home, and we will talk after we put her to bed for the night." said Olivia as she pecked Spencer on the lips

"Do you want me to bring Piper here to say goodbye?" asked Spencer

"If you bring her here, my students will just fight over who gets to hold her." said Olivia

Spencer laughed before speaking.

"I will see you later then." said Spencer before turning his attention to Olivia's students "And some point during this semester I will be guest lecturing about how I use my PhD in mathematics for the FBI."

"And I will let you guys know when my husband will be guest lecturing." said Olivia before lightly pushing Spencer to the door "I will call downstairs and let Julia know that you are picking Piper up." said Olivia as she pulled out her cellphone

* * *

Olivia entered the house to find Spencer and Piper sleeping on the couch with Piper on Spencer's chest, and she smiled as she took a picture of her two favorite people before extracting Piper from Spencer's grasp, causing him to wake up.

"What time is it?" mumbled Spencer as he grabbed his glasses from the end table and put them on

"6 PM." said Olivia as she rubbed Piper's back "How long have you two been asleep?"

Spencer looked at the clock and realized that he and Piper slept for two hours.

"Two hours, and I was only planning on napping for an hour." said Spencer as he swung his long legs so he could sit up

"You just got home from a case, and I understand if you are exhausted." said Olivia

"I know." said Spencer

"What did you two do after getting home?" asked Olivia as she settled herself on Spencer's lap with Piper was in her arms

"I took Piper for a stroll through the park, read to her, and worked with her on her hand-eye coordination." said Spencer as he wrapped his arms around Olivia "And with how much fun we had together I needed a nap too."

"And she refuses to take a nap unless she's on top of you." giggled Olivia

"Pretty much, but I love it when Piper sleeps on top of me." said Spencer

"She did miss you while you were in California the past two days." said Olivia

"And I missed the both of you." said Spencer as his stomach growled

"Should we order take out or cook a quick meal?" asked Olivia

"I had Chinese food for dinner yesterday, but I could go for some pizza from our favorite pizzeria." said Spencer

"How about you order pizza while I feed Piper." said Olivia

"OK." said Spencer

"After eating dinner we give Piper a bath, put her to bed, and then we will talk about your case after relaxing for a bit." said Olivia as she got off Spencer's lap

"OK." said Spencer

* * *

A few hours later Spencer and Olivia were in their favorite cuddling position on the couch, and Olivia decided to bring up the case Spencer just worked on.

"How bad was the case?" asked Olivia

"Let's just say that when Piper starts school she is not allowed to walk to and from school alone." said Spencer

"A child was abducted?" asked Olivia as she firmly rubbed her husband's shoulder

Spencer started telling Olivia about the case, and when he was done Olivia spoke.

"We can make sure that Piper takes something like karate in a few years." said Olivia

"Can we home school her and she can sit in on your classes while working on her school work?" asked Spencer

"We both know that Piper will need to interact with other kids her own age, but we can teach her about stranger danger." said Olivia

"At least we have a few years before worrying about school." said Spencer as he yawned

"We should get to bed since Piper is going to wake us up in a few hours." said Olivia

* * *

Two days later Spencer looked at Olivia as she walked out of Piper's nursery.

"Hotch and Jack should be here soon." said Spencer as he took the baby monitor from Olivia

"Why?" asked Olivia

"I decided that we could celebrate our one year wedding anniversary this weekend even though our one year anniversary isn't until Monday." said Spencer

"What about exchanging gifts?" asked Olivia

"We can do that when we get back." said Spencer

"Where are we going?" asked Olivia

"To a nice bed and breakfast in Paris, Virginia that is near Sky Meadows State Park." said Spencer

"Where are our bags?" asked Olivia

"They are already in my car, and I packed one of your dresses since we also have dinner reservations." said Spencer

"You just wanted to make sure that you pack your favorite articles of clothing that I own." teased Olivia

"Maybe." muttered Spencer as his face heated up a bit

"It's OK, Spencer." said Olivia

At that moment the doorbell rang causing Spencer and Olivia to go downstairs while Spencer carried the baby monitor, and two minutes later they allowed Hotch and Jack into the house.

"Hi Uncle Spencer. Hi Aunt Olivia." said an excited Jack as he hugged his adoptive aunt and uncle before Einstein greeted him "Where's Piper?" asked Jack as he petted Einstein

"She's napping right now." said Spencer as he handed Hotch the baby monitor and the iPads

"Can't we take our iPads so we can check on Piper?" asked Olivia

"The only technology we are taking is our cellphones and a camera." said Spencer

"And I will make sure to send you two pictures of Piper." said Hotch

"Thanks for staying here for the weekend to babysit Piper and dog sit Einstein." said Spencer

"You promised me that I would get to babysit my goddaughter next, and I am impressed at how Einstein isn't affected by the animal part of the Reid-Effect." said Hotch

At that moment Olivia started giving instructions about Piper's care, and Hotch laughed before looking at her.

"We will be fine." said Hotch as he looked at Jack "Won't we Jack?"

"I am going to help Daddy take good care of Piper and Einstein, and I am going to show Piper some magic tricks that Uncle Spencer has been showing me." said Jack

Hotch looked at Spencer and Olivia.

"You two should get going since you have an hour and a half drive." said Hotch

* * *

Spencer and Olivia entered their room and Spencer looked at his wife who was in awe.

"Happy anniversary Olivia." said Spencer

"What should we do first?" asked Olivia as she checked out the bathroom and grinned when she saw the antique claw foot bathtub

"We have dinner reservations in three hours so we need to change since this is a four star restaurant we are going to." said Spencer as he passed the garment bag that contained Olivia's dress

Olivia opened the garment bag and grinned when she noticed that Spencer packed her favorite light blue cocktail length dress.

"It's a good thing' I tried this dress on while you were in Los Angeles since I was planning on wearing it depending on the plans you made for us." teased Olivia

"I'm a profiler." smirked Spencer

"Well I am going to get ready." said Olivia as she headed into the bathroom

"I am going to get ready too." said Spencer

20 minutes later Olivia exited the bathroom, and Spencer's mouth was agape when he noticed her.

"Down, handsome." teased Olivia as she straightened her husband's light blue tie

"Maybe we can take a bubble bath when we lock ourselves in this room later." growled Spencer

"Promises. Promises." purred Olivia

* * *

Spencer and Olivia were escorted to their table, and Spencer chuckled when he saw a note.

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY. DINNER IS ON ME, AND THE OWNER OF THIS RESTAURANT IS ONE OF MY FRIENDS. ~ ROSSI

"Rossi is paying for this dinner, and knowing him he wouldn't want us to order the cheapest food on the menu." said Spencer as he quickly read the menu

A few minutes later Spencer and Olivia ordered their meals and beverages, and after the waiter walked away Spencer spoke up.

"Can you believe we have been married for a year?" asked Spencer

"We have been busy, but we survived." said Olivia as she thought about her appendicitis, becoming pregnant with Piper, Spencer's recurring strep throat, and other events

"Excited about exchanging anniversary gifts when we go home on Sunday?" asked Spencer

Olivia nodded as she thought about her and Piper going to a photographer and having a professional portrait done.

A short while later Spencer and Olivia were eating their dinner.

* * *

Two hours later Spencer and Olivia entered their room, and Olivia spoke up.

"I really want to try out that bathtub." said Olivia

"OK." said Spencer as he followed Olivia to the bathroom

"I want to go horseback riding tomorrow." said Olivia as she turned on the water

"I already made arrangements for us" said Spencer as he watched Olivia add her favorite bubble bath to the water

* * *

Two days later Spencer walked over to the hiding place where he hid Olivia's gift while Olivia grabbed her gift for Spencer.

"We should open our gifts at the same time." said Olivia as she passed the box to Spencer

"Good idea." said Spencer as he handed Olivia her gift

"On the count of three." said Olivia

"One." said Spencer

"Two." said Olivia

"Three." said Spencer

At that moment Spencer and Olivia opened their gifts, and they burst out laughing when they saw they had the same ideas for each other.

"I had the same idea as you." laughed Olivia as she looked at the photographs of Spencer and Piper

"Well the first anniversary is always the paper anniversary, and I thought that having Piper and I see a professional photographer wouldn't be a bad idea." said Spencer

"I was thinking that a rare first edition book would be a good idea, but I thought that having a professional photograph of Piper and me would be a good idea as my gift for you so you can display it at work." said Olivia

"At least we didn't spend too much money on our gifts for each other." laughed Spencer

"We need to go to a professional photographer so we can have a family portrait done for our Christmas cards." said Olivia

"At least we agreed to Garcia's idea to announce that we were expecting Piper by sending out Christmas cards last year with a photo of us." said Spencer

"But before we have a family photo for our Christmas cards, we should get past your birthday first." said Olivia

"At least I turn 31 in 15 days, and we should get through Halloween too." said Spencer

At that moment Spencer and Olivia heard Piper crying through the baby monitor and Spencer looked at Olivia.

"I will get her since she is due for a diaper change." said Spencer

"At least you are able to handle stinky diapers better than me." shuddered Olivia

Spencer laughed before exiting the bedroom and walking into Piper's nursery.


	9. Through The Looking Glass

Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds

 _A/N: Shout out to Hippichic81, OhSnapItsMadison, tannerose5, Mrs. JaganshiReidofHufflepuff, southernbeauty13, and Chermayne for reviewing chapter 8._

 _I ended up changing two scenes for the episode Through The Looking Glass since Hotch, Rossi, Morgan, JJ, Alex, and Garcia know that Spencer has Asperger's syndrome._

* * *

Olivia was looking out the window and smiled at the site of children playing in their front yards.

"It's a beautiful day outside." said Olivia

Spencer looked up from his spot on the floor where he was laying on his belly by Piper.

"How about we put Piper in her stroller and walk to the park." said Spencer as he got off the floor

"OK." said Olivia as she picked Piper up from the floor

At that moment Spencer walked into the kitchen and grabbed bread, peanut butter and jelly.

"We should pack some sandwiches so we can have a picnic at the park." said Spencer as he started making them

"I will get Piper ready while you make those sandwiches." said Olivia

A short while later Spencer and Olivia were enjoying their picnic while Piper laid on her belly between her mommy and daddy watching children play.

"Is there anything special you want to do for your 31st birthday if you are not on a case?" asked Olivia

"Rossi was talking about us all having dinner in his garden, and Garcia was talking about going out for karaoke after having a birthday dinner." said Spencer

Olivia nodded before Spencer decided to bring up the topic of starting a garden next spring.

"How about next spring we start a garden in our backyard since we didn't start one this year because you were pregnant with Piper." said Spencer as he scooped up Piper and blew a raspberry on her belly, causing her to laugh "You like that huh?" asked Spencer as he blew another raspberry

Piper squealed with laughter again while Olivia giggled.

"Piper, you're such a daddy's girl." cooed Olivia before deciding to talk about that garden they wanted to have "So back to the topic about starting a garden next spring, what fruits and vegetables should we plant?"

"How about we plant fruits and vegetables that we usually grocery shop for." said Spencer as he laid down on his back while having Piper lay on top of him

"Peas, tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, lettuce, carrots, peppers, and potatoes." listed Olivia

"And if there's anything else you want to plant, you are welcome to plant it." said Spencer as Piper tried to grab his hair "Please don't pull my hair Piper." said Spencer as he tried to move her hands from his hair

Olivia giggled at the antics of her two favorite people before speaking.

"And if we are successful next year with our garden, maybe in a few years Piper can start a small garden of her own." said Olivia

At that moment Spencer's cellphone rang. He pulled it out of his pocket and saw a text from Garcia.

WE HAVE A CASE, SO KISS YOUR TWO GIRLS GOODBYE AND GET TO QUANTICO ASAP. ~ PG

Olivia looked at Spencer.

"Duty calls?" asked Olivia as she scooped Piper off Spencer's chest

"Yeah, and we have a 15 minute walk." said Spencer as he got off the ground and started to help Olivia pack up

"At least your go bag is packed." said Olivia as she placed Piper in her stroller

"I learned that it's important to always have a freshly packed go bag in my car." said Spencer

A few minutes later Spencer, Olivia, and Piper were heading home.

* * *

From a car in the parking lot John Curtis was taking pictures of the Reid family. He saw Dr. Reid pull out his cellphone and read something, making him realize that the BAU is being sent out on another case.

* * *

Olivia exited the nursery, and Olivia looked at Spencer who had changed into his usual work clothes while his revolver attached to his belt and his bags over his shoulders.

"Piper is asleep." said Olivia as she followed Spencer down the stairs

"All that fresh air tired her out, and you look like you could use a nap too." said Spencer

"I am going to take one after I watch you leave, but please stay safe, and call me when you know where you are flying to." said Olivia

"I promise." said Spencer as he grabbed the keys to his Volvo

"I love you." said Olivia

"Love you too." said Spencer as he exited the house

* * *

An hour later Spencer pulled up into his usual parking spot just as Morgan pulled up himself.

"Hey, Morgan." said Spencer

"Seems like you got some sun today, so what did you do with your two girls?" asked Morgan

"Olivia, Piper, and I were at the park, and Olivia and I were talking about starting a garden next spring." said Spencer

"A flower garden or a garden containing fruits and vegetables?" asked Morgan

"I am allowing Olivia to plant what she wants to plant, and she wants to plant potatoes, peas, carrots, peppers, and a few other fruits and vegetables." said Spencer

"Let me know when you and Olivia are ready to start that garden, and I will have someone inspect your backyard to help find a good area to start a garden so no pipes are damaged when digging." said Morgan

"Thanks man." said Spencer

A few minutes later Spencer was at the round table with his teammates and Hotch looked at his agents.

"Sorry that we got called in on a day off, but there were no other teams available." said Hotch before turning to Garcia "You may start briefing us."

"5 days ago the Yamada family went missing from their home in Kansas City, Kansas. Last night a road crew found 3 members of the family, John, Tricia, and their 16-year-old daughter Kristen all dead, all shot to death and left at the side of a highway. Uh, they were tipped off to the location by a drifter who is now M. I. A." said Garcia

"And the youngest child, Scott Yamada, is still missing?" asked Morgan

"Yeah. The murder weapon was an unregistered 9-millimeter. It was found near the bodies. There were prints on the gun that were the father's, and there was gunshot residue on his hand." said Garcia

"So he drove his family away from their home, hooded his wife and daughter, shot them, then committed suicide. Why do it out here?" asked JJ

"That is unusual. Most familicides happen in the comfort of the home. So what happened to the son?" asked Morgan

"He either shot him first or he wanted to spare him." said Hotch

"Well, if he spared the son, it's most likely he left him in a safe place, maybe with a relative, before he carried this out." said Alex

"Next of kin hasn't seen him." said Garcia

Spencer saw something on the M. E. report and knew that he had to say something.

"Guys, wait a minute. The M. E. report said the gunshot residue was on the father's right hand. But he's wearing his watch on his right arm, which means he's most likely left-handed." said Spencer

"Maybe someone set the father up to make it look like he did it." said Rossi

At that moment Hotch's cellphone rang

"Excuse me." said Hotch as he left the room while answering his phone "Hotchner."

"I talked to local police. There's no pending divorce, no recent job loss. There's no obvious problems the Yamadas were having, so they're treating this sudden disappearance as an abduction." said Garcia

"It's pretty extreme to take an entire family." said JJ

"Unless the son was the primary target." said Rossi

"And the rest of the family was in the way." said Morgan

"Yeah, remember sexual predator Matthew Hoffman in 2010? He killed a mother, son, and family friend just so he could take the 13-year-old daughter." said Spencer as he thought about the smile that Piper gave him as he kissed her goodbye

"If we're looking at a sexual predator, Scott could still be alive." said Alex as Hotch came back into the room

"Thank you." said Hotch as he hung up before looking at his team "Another family, the Acklins, have just disappeared from, uh, Lenexa, which is a suburb of Kansas City. A father, mother, 17-year-old daughter, and 11-year-old son." said Hotch

"The family makeup is almost identical to the Yamadas." said Alex

"The father's in the middle of a lawsuit for fraud, so they may have disappeared voluntarily." said Hotch

"We can't take that chance." said Rossi

"Exactly. Wheels up in 30." said Hotch

Two minutes later Spencer was sitting at his desk. He pulled out his phone and called Olivia.

"So where are you flying to?" asked Olivia

"Kansas." said Spencer

"Only an hour behind us." said Olivia

"I know." sighed Spencer

"What's wrong?" asked Olivia

"This case deals with kids." said Spencer

"I will make sure to send you a lot of pictures of Piper to cheer you up." said Olivia

"Please do." said Spencer

"Well, I am about to start dinner." said Olivia

Spencer looked at his watch and spoke up.

"I have to go, and I will call you when I have a chance later." said Spencer

"Please come home to Piper and I safely. We love you." said Olivia

"I promise to come home safely, and I love you and Piper too." said Spencer before hanging up

* * *

"Aside from different ethnicities, the Yamadas and Acklins were remarkably similar." said Rossi as Garcia's face popped up on the laptop screen

"John Yamada was an engineer, and his wife was a bank teller. Mike Acklin was a stockbroker, and his wife Debra worked as a city clerk." said Garcia

"Both upper-middle-class families living in nice suburbs." said Morgan

"Any chance these families knew each other?" asked JJ

"Not according to my vast, far-reaching databases." said Garcia

"What about the kids? Anything stand out there?" asked Alex

"According to teachers, Scott Yamada was shy, introverted. He reported being bullied once. And Braden Acklin was recently diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome." said Garcia

"So the kids weren't winning popularity contests." said Rossi

"You know, they could have been prime targets for a sexual predator." said JJ

Spencer decided to speak up because of having Asperger's syndrome himself.

"Braden certainly would be vulnerable. Unlike classic autism, language ability is intact in people with Asperger's. They appear to lack empathy and have trouble reading social cues. Albert Einstein supposedly had it, as do some well-known Silicon Valley types. Plus you all know that I was diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome last year." said Spencer

Morgan looked over at the computer and spoke up.

"Hey, Penelope, you want to tap into those vast and wide databases of yours and see if these families crossed paths unwittingly? Even if they didn't know each other, they may have gone to the same place and met the unsub separately."

"Yes, my sweet, delving into the digital abyss as we talk." said Garcia

"We all need to dig more deeply for information about both of these families. And let's not forget this is still a search and rescue mission for Scott Yamada. And if the unsub sticks to his schedule, we've got fewer than 3 days to find the Acklins alive." said Hotch before giving assignments for when they land

At that moment Spencer pulled out his cellphone and looked at the picture he took of Olivia and Piper while they were at the park and looked at JJ.

"I have some new pictures of Piper on my phone." said Spencer as he passed his smart phone to JJ

JJ looked at the picture before looking at Spencer.

"When was this picture taken?" asked JJ

"Olivia, Piper, and I were at the park having a picnic before getting called in, and Olivia took a few pictures of Piper and I on her phone." said Spencer

* * *

Meanwhile in Washington DC, Olivia looked at Piper.

"Your daddy's birthday is in 10 days, so how about we go buy him a bunch of books that we don't have in our home library, and maybe he will eventually read the books that we picked out for him." said Olivia as she placed Piper in her car seat

20 minutes later Olivia and Piper were in a bookstore, and Olivia looked at Piper.

"What do you think about getting your daddy books written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle?" asked Olivia as she eyed some Sherlock Holmes books

Piper happily babbled to her mommy the thought of her daddy reading to her since she loves how calming his voice is.

"I take that as a yes since you love it when your daddy reads to you." laughed Olivia as she placed a few Sherlock Holmes book in her cart

* * *

Spencer entered Scott's bedroom with Alex and inwardly smiled when he saw how Scott's bedroom was like his own childhood bedroom.

"Scott Yamada looks like a typical 10-year-old boy." said Alex

"This place brings back memories. When I was a kid, I made a model of the Universe out of salt." said Spencer as he looked up at the hanging solar system

"Was it for a school project?" asked Alex

"No, it was a birthday present for Carl Sagan, but I don't think he ever got it." said Spencer

"And you are not afraid of passing Asperger's syndrome down to Piper or any other children you and Olivia have?" asked Alex

"When I told Olivia some of my fears about becoming a parent, we talked about what we can do if Piper or any other children we have get Asperger's and how we can get them the help they need while making sure that they are happy and healthy." said Spencer

"And that's what I love about you. You're willing to do what's best for your daughter." said Alex before continuing "You're not overly sensitive like some people. I mean, think about how much time we'd save if everyone just got straight to the point."

"Yeah. Cut out all the handshakes and how-do-you-dos." said Spencer

"Yeah." nodded Alex

At that moment Spencer looked at the window.

"This window was opened recently." said Spencer as he moved the window a bit "It was hot the night the Yamadas were abducted." said Spencer while being glad that Piper's nursery is on the second floor across from Olivia's and his bedroom

"First floor, open window. Easy entry for unsub. Top bunk is made. He probably wasn't in bed yet." said Alex as she looked at the top bunk

Spencer walked over to the bunk bed while talking.

"Well, I think he slept on the bottom." said Spencer as he moved the tent and pulled out a box "Yeah, this tent probably made him feel safe at night." said Spencer before opening the box

"He was probably looking at his fossils. When the unsub entered, he dropped one when he was grabbed. And then he was forced out of his room." said Alex before pulling out her phone and calling Morgan

* * *

"The body would have been easy to dump there. It was outside the fence and there were no security cameras or guards." said Rossi as he walked towards Alex and Spencer

"But he left the boy near the front gate. He knew he'd be found quickly." said Hotch

Hotch watched Spencer turn his head, and noticed the sad look on Spencer's face as Alex spoke.

"The M. E. said Scott Yamada wasn't sexually assaulted or tortured." said Alex as she and Spencer followed the others to the work space they were given.  
Spencer steeled himself before speaking up.

"C. O. D. was a single gunshot. He died shortly after the family. His body was dumped 3 days ago." said Spencer

"So it doesn't fit the profile of a preferential sex offender." said JJ

"The body was carefully wrapped, though, showing some concern or remorse for the boy." said Rossi as Spencer crossed his arms

"Well, what was the motive, then, for kidnapping and killing the rest of the family? To get the boy alone for card games and hot chocolate?" asked Detective Carr

"No, it's possible the unsub had some affinity or affection for Scott." said Alex

"Yes, or maybe we have this all wrong. I mean, what if the rest of the family was the target all along?" asked Spencer

"And Scott was just a tool to control them?" asked JJ

Hotch, who was looking at the board they set up, spoke up.

"Well, the father was made to look like the perpetrator, either as a forensic countermeasure or because he was symbolic in some way to the unsub." said Hotch as his cellphone rang causing him to put it on speaker "Go ahead, Garcia."

"OK, I can only find one connection between these two families and this is it. They both vacationed at a placed called Ravenwood Camp outside of Topeka at different times last year. The Yamadas in April and the Acklins in July." said Garcia

"We should check it out. We'll need the names of all the staff and anyone who overlapped the stays of the two families." said Hotch

"Got it." said Garcia

* * *

Spencer was walking around Ravenwood camp with Alex and E. J. Torres.

"Do you know what the biggest problem in America is today?" asked Torres

"We're losing the war against antibiotic resistance." said Spencer while thinking about his allergy to Beta-lactams

"Smart phones. I saw this family in a restaurant the other day and no one was talking to each other. They were all on their phones. Texting, tweeting, emailing, what have you. It's why the family unit is dying." said Torres

"Pretty extreme view." said Alex as she looked around Ravenwood Camp

"Not when you see the result of eliminating modern-day distractions like we do. Families ride horses together. They hike. Roast marshmallows. They reconnect." said Torres

"Sounds idyllic. Let me ask you this. Did the Yamadas or the Acklins seem troubled to you?" asked Spencer

"They pretended like they weren't, but you can't hide that stuff. From what I recall, Mr. and Mrs. Yamada argued in their cabin at night. The Acklins? Huh. Hardly spoke to each other the entire week they were here." said Torres

"So I guess you might say that their stays weren't exactly successful." said Spencer

"We're not miracle workers. We just want to start the healing process." said Torres

"Do you get angry when it doesn't work? Because you sent multiple emails to both families insisting they return to Ravenwood soon or they'd regret it." said Alex

"No offense, but you kind of strike me as the type of guy who needs to get his point across." said Spencer as he pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose

"So you think what? I hurt them? There's this thing called marketing. My tactics may be aggressive, but they work." said Torres

"So, you're not a murderer. You're just a businessman." said Alex

* * *

"Familicides by non-family members are rare. Now, we're looking for an unsub without a family who is envious and wants to destroy the very thing that he cannot have." started Morgan

"He was raised in a dysfunctional family, which he lost or may have even murdered." said JJ

"These abductions were not random. He monitored the families on the Internet and picked them because their dynamics mirror his own, yet they project the appearance of perfection that he fantasizes about." said Spencer

"He blames these fathers for their mistakes, and then he punishes the families and makes it appear as if the father is the culprit." said Hotch

"And the young sons who were abducted are likely to be surrogates for the unsub himself. They may be at the age he was when the negative life-threatening event happened." said Alex

"He connects to them, therefore he may be in a state of arrested development. This doesn't protect the kids, however, as evidenced in the killing of Scott Yamada. The unsub may have seen this death as a merciful act." said Spencer

"He's familiar with the abduction and body disposal sites, and there's a secondary crime scene in between where he holds and interacts with the families." said Rossi

"This secondary location is secluded. It's been set up in advance for the crimes and allows him to be in complete control." said JJ

"Our unsub is likely in his mid-40s, and he has the intelligence to plot, plan, and effect these abductions and murders." said Morgan

"The vehicle he drives is a dark minivan or cargo van, probably with tinted windows, soundproofing, and retrofitted with restraints to hide his victims inside." said Alex

"And given his time-line, he's probably already surveilling his next family." said Hotch

As officers walked away, only Detective Carr stayed with them as Spencer's phone vibrated and Spencer smiled when he saw a picture of Piper having tummy time on the floor with Einstein laying down next to her.

"Why is he smiling?" asked Detective Carr

Hotch looked at Detective Carr.

"His wife just sent him a picture of their three and a half month old daughter." whispered Hotch

"Must be hard to deal with families being killed if you're a parent yourself." said Detective Carr

"It's hard, but we make the country a safer place for our children every time we put an unsub away." said Hotch as he thought about Jack

"You have kids Agent Hotchner?" asked Detective Carr

"A six year old boy." said Hotch

* * *

Spencer and Alex were standing in the ME's office with Dr. Armbruster.

"Cause of death is a 9-millimeter gunshot to the chest." said Dr. Armbruster

"Same as the other victims. Seems to be our unsub's weapon of choice." said Spencer

"T. O. D. is less than 24 hours ago. Looks like she was bound at the wrist and ankles, premortem." said Dr. Armbruster

"Was she tortured?" asked Alex

"No clear sign of it, but she has bruising and torn hair follicles from fighting her assailant. There's also motile semen present. So it's possible she was raped before she was killed." said Dr. Armbruster as Alex's phone rang "We've sent a sample to the lab."

"You're on speaker, Garcia." said Alex

"I was just looking through Vanessa's cell phone records, and she got a text message the night the Acklins were abducted." said Garcia

"Who was it from?" asked Spencer

"Ross Acklin. That's Mike's brother. You've already talked to him." said Garcia

* * *

Spencer was going through photos with Morgan when JJ and Rossi came back.

"So, Debra Acklin borrows 5 grand from a loan shark, which she should have paid back 5 days ago. Talk about asking to get murdered." said Rossi as Spencer stood up from his chair

"Yeah, but if this was about the money, why did the unsub kill the tutor?" asked JJ

"That's a good question. I mean, how does this relate to the Yamadas?" asked Morgan

"The fact is, both families had more problems than they were letting on." said Spencer

"Which the unsub was privy to, otherwise why murder the tutor?" asked Rossi

"The unsub knew about the affair." said JJ

"And John Yamada was made to look like a family annihilator. It's a way of shaming him, forcing him to take responsibility." said Morgan

"He wasn't jealous of the families, he was angry at them, making them pay a price for their mistakes." said Spencer

"And he would use anyone in the family's periphery to do so. We should see if any recent homicides are connected to the Yamadas." said JJ

"So this guy was doing more than stalking them online. He knew their secrets. But how?" asked Morgan

* * *

Spencer was going around the Yamada's living room when Alex came into the room.

"It's a powerline network adaptor. That's an odd place for the Internet." said Alex

"Not if you're John Yamada and you're camped out here." said Spencer as he found a piece of crumpled up paper under some slippers and quickly read it "Look at this. Point spreads for NFL games. John was gambling the family money away."

At that moment Alex's phone rang, and she answered since it was Morgan calling.

"Hey, Morgan. Same here. Parents sleeping in different beds." said Alex before addressing Spencer "Was this house remodeled?"

"It's a Tudor Revival house, which means it was built in the 1940s. But I see hardware fixtures from the 1980s, composite window moldings from 2000-" rambled Spencer

"That would be yes. Yeah, let me see." said Alex as she looked up at the ceiling "Well, I'll be." said Alex as she looked at Spencer

* * *

Spencer was in the back seat of an SUV wearing his Kevlar vest with Hotch and JJ while hearing Garcia give them more information about Arthur.

"Arthur Rykov, 46. Never married, lives alone on a 10-acre ranch. He had a brush with the law when he was 16, and that's where we know most of our info on him." said Garcia

"What happened when he was 16?" asked Alex

"He was questioned by police regarding an assault on a teacher at his school. After his mother died, he was raised by his strict Russian Orthodox father, who saw his son as an obstacle to his religious devotion. Rykov says he fell in love with the perfect family across the street. He watched them for years, imagined he was one of them. Until the day he saw the teacher kissing the father in her car." said Garcia

"So Rykov attacked the teacher." said JJ

"He denied it. Police never found any conclusive evidence, so..." said Garcia

"So a 16-year-old boy takes revenge on a teacher for ruining his perfect family." said Rossi

"So he's been looking for another one to replace them all this time?" asked Spencer

"Rykov didn't have the social skills to create his own family." said Morgan

"Well, there's no such thing as a perfect family. It's a childhood fantasy." said Alex

"Maybe he thinks he can fix them. That's why he kidnaps them. But when he fails, he has no choice but to kill them." said Morgan

"But why start now? Why in his mid-40s?" asked Spencer

"He needed a remote location to carry out his fantasies." said JJ

"Right you are, girl wonder. It looks like he saved up for the place, bought it two years ago, paid all cash. Hey, the Yamadas were about to send their daughter to a boarding school in Ohio." said Garcia

"That must have been the trigger. He had to kidnap the family while they were all still together." said Rossi

* * *

Spencer exited the elevator with his teammates, and two agents passed them as they headed over to the bullpen where Garcia was waiting with a tray of drinks for them.

"Hello, family." said Garcia

"Hi." said JJ

"I would just like to say that I love each and every one of you, even you, Dr. Alex Blake. It's a new love, but still. And I am never going to take any of you for granted ever." said Garcia causing everyone to smile

"Ohh. We love you, too, Penelope." said JJ

"Thank you. Now hug me." said Garcia

"OK." said JJ

JJ hugged Garcia.

"Does this mean we get drinks every time we come home?" asked Rossi as Spencer looked at him

"We will discuss it when you hug me." said Garcia

"You're too sweet, baby girl." said Morgan as he hugged Garcia

Spencer grabbed a glass and clinked his glass with the others.

"Cheers. Cheers." said everyone

At that moment Spencer looked at his desk and noticed Piper's car seat.

"Where are Olivia and Piper?" asked Spencer as he raised his eyes at Garcia, knowing that she asked Olivia to bring Piper here even though Piper would be asleep right now

"Olivia took Piper to the bathroom so she can change her diaper, and here they come now." said Garcia as she pointed in the direction Olivia was coming from

Spencer turned his head and grinned when he heard Piper babbling, and he quickly walked over to his two girls.

"Let me take her." said Spencer as he extracted Piper from Olivia and looked at his daughter who was smiling at him "Daddy missed you." said Spencer as he kissed his daughter's forehead

"Awww." cooed Alex, JJ, and Garcia as they watched the sweet gesture Spencer was giving his daughter

"What about me?" pouted Olivia

"I missed you too Olivia." said Spencer as he quickly kissed his wife

At that moment both Spencer and Piper yawned and Hotch looked at Olivia.

"You should get these two home and into bed." said Hotch

"I think so too. When I told Piper that we were coming here to pick up her daddy, she was babbling away on the way here sharing her excitement to me instead of sleeping." said Olivia as she watched Spencer put Piper into her car seat

Hotch looked at Olivia.

"I really enjoy seeing him this happy." said Hotch as he watched Spencer happily coo at his daughter who was babbling away at him

"Piper is definitely a daddy's girl." said Olivia before looking at her husband's teammates "There are times that during the day Spencer and Piper will take a nap together." said Olivia as she showed Spencer's teammates the picture she took on her phone

"Now that's a cute picture of them." said Garcia as she noticed that one of Spencer's arms was protectively around Piper

At that moment Spencer came over to Olivia and his teammates with Piper in her car seat and looked at Olivia.

"We are ready to go." said Spencer

Hotch looked at Spencer.

"Your paperwork can wait until tomorrow, and I can pick you up so you don't have to take the train." said Hotch

"Thanks." said Spencer before exiting the bullpen with his wife and daughter

* * *

90 minutes later the Reid family were fast asleep with Piper sleeping on her daddy's chest.


	10. Spencer Turns 31 & An Old Friend Returns

__Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds__

 _A/N: Shout out to OhSnapItsMadison for being the 50th reviewer, and also a shout out to Hippichic81 for reviewing chapter 9._

 _Please don't skip the author's note at the bottom of this chapter, since it will contain some information about a section that might make you guys think that I am doing the Maeve storyline, but I am not going to have Spencer cheat on Olivia._

* * *

Spencer opened his eyes to Piper babbling and the smell of breakfast.

"Happy Birthday, Spencer." said Olivia as she set the try of breakfast on the nightstand "Sit up so Piper can be on your lap."

Spencer reached for his glasses and put them on as he sat up, and before he knew it Piper was sitting on his lap.

"How about you join Piper and me in bed." said Spencer as he patted the spot next to him

"I was planning on feeding you your breakfast." said Olivia as she got into bed next to her husband and looked at Piper who was giving her a gummy smile "Eventually you will get to enjoy eggs and pancakes like your daddy and me, as soon as you develop a few teeth."

At that moment Spencer's stomach growled causing Piper to laugh.

"You think that's funny?" asked Spencer as he scooped up Piper and blew raspberries on her belly

Piper squealed with laughter as Olivia giggled.

"Let's get some food into you since we both have work today." said Olivia as she forked up some pancakes "Open up."

Spencer opened his mouth and Piper watched her mommy feed her daddy breakfast.

* * *

As Spencer slung his messenger bag over his shoulder Olivia looked at Spencer as she placed Piper in her car seat.

"How about you drop Piper and I off at Georgetown, and when you are done with work you can pick us up." said Olivia

"OK." said Spencer

* * *

Spencer entered the bullpen and shook his head when he saw balloons surrounding his desk as Garcia approached him to hug him.

"Happy Birthday, Boy Wonder." said Garcia as she hugged Spencer tightly

"Let the birthday boy breathe." said Rossi

Garcia released Spencer so Rossi and the others could wish him a happy birthday with either handshakes or hugs.

"I thought there would be cake and birthday presents here today." said Spencer as he sat down at his desk

"Cake and birthday presents are going to wait until your birthday dinner tonight, since we still have our backlog of consults to work on today." said Hotch

"And don't forget that dinner is at 7 PM at my mansion, and we are eating in the garden since it's still nice outside." said Rossi

"I know." said Spencer

Garcia looked at Spencer.

"How did you, Olivia, and Piper celebrate your birthday this morning?" asked Garcia

"Olivia brought me breakfast in bed like she did last year, and she fed me herself while Piper was on top of me." said Spencer

"Did Piper wear anything special today?" asked Garcia

Spencer grinned as he pulled out his cellphone.

"I loved the onesie that Piper was wearing this morning." said Spencer as he showed his teammates the picture he took of Piper wearing a onsie that said IT'S MY DADDY'S 31ST BIRTHDAY TODAY

"She's so cute." said JJ as she looked at the picture of her goddaughter smiling

Alex looked at the picture.

"Her eyes are getting darker." said Alex

"Olivia's happy that Piper is going to have my eye color." said Spencer

* * *

Spencer was eating lunch at his desk while working on his PhD in psychology when Strauss came into the bullpen and approached him.

"Happy Birthday, Dr. Reid." said Strauss

"Thanks." said Spencer

"How about you take tomorrow off so you can spend the day with Piper." said Strauss

"I think I will take that offer." said Spencer

"How's Piper doing?" asked Strauss

"She's a happy baby, and she's hitting all of her milestones on time or a bit early." smiled Spencer as he showed Strauss the picture he took that morning

"That's a cute onesie on her." said Strauss

"Garcia made that onesie for Piper to wear today." smiled Spencer

"How is your PhD in psychology going?" asked Strauss as she noticed the text books and Spencer's personal laptop

"Based on the progress I am making, I am definitely going to be putting on that doctoral gown and walk across the stage at Georgetown University in December." said Spencer

"I will make sure that you and your teammates are on stand down that week so you can make it to that graduation ceremony." said Strauss before walking away

* * *

Three hours later Spencer entered Hotch's office with his completed consults and Hotch looked at him.

"How about you head out a bit earlier, and the others and I will see you, Olivia, and Piper at 7 PM." said Hotch

"OK." said Spencer as he left Hotch's office

At that moment Hotch pulled out his cellphone and sent Morgan, JJ, Gideon, Rossi, Alex, and Garcia a text.

PLEASE COME TO MY OFFICE AFTER REID GETS INTO THE ELEVATOR. ~ AH

A few minutes later, Morgan, JJ, Garcia, Alex, Rossi, and Gideon were in Hotch's office.

"Since Spencer, Olivia, and Piper are coming for 7 PM don't forget that you guys are suppose to be at my mansion for 6 PM to help set up." said Rossi

"Do you think he is going to be surprised that you were able to get his parents to fly out here?" asked Garcia

"I think he will be." said Hotch

"Emily is excited about surprising Spence since she is already at my house." said JJ

"Elle is waiting for me at my apartment right now." said Gideon

"How were you able to convince her to come?" asked Hotch

"When I finally tracked her down two weeks ago, I sent her my copy of Piper's birth announcement and wrote a note saying that Spencer's 31st birthday is coming up and asked her if she could come to his birthday celebration for she can meet Olivia and Piper." said Gideon

Hotch looked at the clock before speaking up.

"Let's pack up and head home before heading over to Rossi's." said Hotch

* * *

Spencer entered Olivia's office and saw that Olivia was talking to her student Diane Turner who was working towards a PhD in Mathematics.

"I didn't know that you had company." said Spencer

"It's OK Spencer. I am just about ready to go and Julia is getting Piper ready for us." said Olivia

Spencer looked at Diane.

"How's your degree coming along?" asked Spencer

Diane blushed a bit before speaking up.

"I was just handing in some extra credit work to your wife." said Diane before looking at Spencer "I heard that it's your 31st birthday today. So Happy Birthday, Dr. Reid" said Diane

"Thank you." said Spencer

Diane looked at Spencer and Olivia.

"Well I have to go eat dinner before meeting with my study group." said Diane

"Never walk around campus alone after dark." said Spencer as he thought about the case that caused Gideon to leave

"I promise." said Diane before she left the room

Olivia looked at her husband.

"Did you have a good day at work?" asked Olivia

"Apparently Garcia made sure to put a notice about my birthday on the Quantico message boards so I got a lot of emails and a bunch of agents stopped by my desk today to wish me a happy birthday." said Spencer

"Garcia is making sure that everyone didn't forget your birthday this year." said Olivia

"I'm happy that they didn't forget this year." said Spencer

"We should go get Piper so we can head home and change since we are suppose to be at Rossi's for 7 PM." said Olivia

* * *

Rossi smiled when he allowed the guest of honor and his family inside his mansion and looked at the Reid family.

"Everyone else is in the garden." said Rossi as he led the Reid family out to his back yard

Spencer stood in shock when he noticed his parents talking to Alex.

"Close your mouth Spencer." said Diana as she and William approached their son

"I thought that you two couldn't make it." said Spencer as he allowed his parents to hug him

"We have to fly back to Vegas in four hours since I still have that meeting to attend tomorrow afternoon, and the benefit of having a long flight is that we can sleep during the flight home." said William as he and Diana released their son

"You two being here for a couple of hours is better than talking on the phone or chatting on Skype." said Spencer as he led his parents to the table

Diana looked at Spencer as William greeted his daughter in law and granddaughter.

"I think you are due for a haircut baby." said Diana

At that moment Spencer's face turned beet red hearing his mom call him her favorite nickname, causing everyone to laugh.

"Mom." groaned Spencer

"Even though I gave birth to you 31 years ago today I will still call you baby." said Diana

Olivia looked at her husband.

"How about I call you Baby instead of Doc." said Olivia

Spencer's face turned even redder causing more laughter

"You are so going to get it later after Piper is in bed." whispered Spencer

"Promises. Promises." purred Olivia, causing Diana and William to smirk at their son and daughter in law

At that moment Rossi decided to intervene since there was children present.

"We have a few more guests that still have to show up before we eat dinner." said Rossi as he saw Emily come out of her hiding place

At that moment Emily quietly approached Spencer from behind him and spoke.

"You thought that I wouldn't make it here for your birthday, even though we had joint birthday parties four years in a row?" asked Emily

Spencer turned around and spoke.

"Emily!" exclaimed Spencer as he hugged her

"Happy birthday Spencer." said Emily

"I am glad that you were able to make it, and happy birthday to you too even though yours isn't for another three days." said Spencer

"Rossi decided to have a joint birthday party for us so we are going to blow out the candles together." said Emily

At that moment Gideon looked at Spencer.

"I have a surprise for you too." said Gideon as he smiled at the woman who was coming towards them

"Well if it isn't Dr. Spencer Reid." said a female voice

Spencer turned around again and saw Elle Greenway.

"Elle." said Spencer before gesturing Olivia and Piper to Elle "This is my wife of one year and 15 days Olivia, and this baby girl is our three and a half month old daughter Piper."

Olivia looked at Elle.

"Spencer has told me about you and how you would stand up for him when Derek teases him." said Olivia as she shook hands with Elle

"Were you ever told about the whistle incident?" asked Elle

"I was, but at least my husband is a much better shot now." said Olivia as she thought about the test scores he showed her from his last qualification

"There were times that I wanted to slap Morgan for teasing your husband." said Elle

Hotch chuckled before speaking up.

"JJ has done it a few times already." said Hotch

"And so have I." said Emily

* * *

Spencer looked at the candles on the cake before looking at Morgan and Elle.

"These better not be trick candles." said Spencer

"I made sure that they didn't use trick candles." said Hotch as he thought about the time that he and Gideon were supervising the birthday celebration that Elle, JJ, and Morgan were having for Spencer's 24th birthday in the bullpen

"Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday dear Spencer and Emily. Happy Birthday to you." sang everyone while Piper babbled along

Morgan looked at Olivia who had Piper in her arms.

"Did she really babble along?" asked Morgan

William Reid decided to speak up.

"Spencer was already babbling when he was Piper's age so I am not even surprised that my granddaughter is going to be smart like her father." said William

"Make a wish and blow the candles." said Olivia

Spencer and Emily both blew out the candles together and everyone clapped once the candles were out.

After the candles were removed from the cake, Henry looked at his parents.

"Can we have cake now?" asked Henry

Everyone burst out laughing and Rossi started to cut the cake.

Morgan looked at Spencer.

"You should let Olivia feed you your cake." said Morgan

"I am already planning on it since we are sharing a piece." smirked Olivia as she passed Piper to her husband

"And I bet Piper can't wait to try cake for the first time when she turns a year old." said Spencer as he bounced Piper on his knees a bit

William looked at his son.

"On your first birthday, I had to feed you your cake myself since you wouldn't touch it." said William

"So you think Piper will be like that?" asked Olivia as she looked at her father in law

"With the times I get to see my granddaughter in person, she reminds me so much of Spencer when he was her age." said William as he watched his son make funny faces at Piper, causing her to laugh

* * *

After eating cake Spencer went over to his mom who was sitting on a bench reading a book.

"I am glad that you were able to come mom." said Spencer

"Even though I hate flying on a plane I was willing to fly to DC with your dad so I can have a chance to see Piper again." said Diana as she wrapped an arm around her son's waist and pulled him close to her like she did when he was a little boy

"What are you reading?" asked Spencer as he rested his head on his mother's shoulder like he used to do

"Chaucer." said Diana as she ran a hand through her son's hair

Spencer smiled at the memories of his mom reading to him.

"Please read out loud to me." said Spencer

"I was hoping that you would ask me before your dad and I have to head to the airport." said Diana before she started reading out loud while gaining an audience

"He's such a mama's boy." whispered Morgan to Garcia

At that moment Garcia slapped Morgan on the head, causing laughter from everyone except Spencer and Diana who were focused on the book that Diana was reading.

"What was that for?" asked Morgan

"He loves his mother dearly, and it's nice to see Diana having a good day since it's not that often that she has one." said Garcia as she thought about the time he confided in her about writing to his mom everyday and talking to her about his mom during the time Nathan Harris approached Spencer for help

* * *

After a half hour of reading out loud, William looked at Diana.

"We have to get going Diana, and I am supposed to give you your medication right now." said William

Spencer extracted himself from his mother and Diana looked at her son.

"You better keep on sending pictures of my granddaughter since the nurses are helping me fill a photo album of you, Olivia, and Piper." said Diana as she hugged her son before looking up at her son "And think about getting a hair cut because if Aunt Ethel came along she would have dragged you to a barber or cut your hair herself like she did when you were a little boy."

"I know." laughed Spencer before exchanging goodbyes with his father

* * *

30 minutes later Piper let out a yawn, and Spencer looked at his watch before looking at his teammates.

"It's pretty much bath and bedtime for Piper." said Spencer

"Are you sure you three can't stay longer?" asked Garcia

"Piper still wakes us up a few times a night, and I have work tomorrow." said Olivia

"I think I'd rather go home since I have tomorrow off so I can spend quality time with Piper." said Spencer before looking at Elle "How long are you in town for?"

"Two more days." said Elle

Olivia looked at Elle.

"How about you come over tomorrow so you can catch up with Spencer." said Olivia

Elle shook her head when she noticed Spencer giving her those puppy dog eyes.

"What's the address?" asked Elle

Spencer rattled off the address, and Elle looked at him.

"Would noon work?" asked Elle

"That time will do since Piper will be taking her nap at 1 PM." said Spencer

"I can bring take out." said Elle

Spencer shook his head.

"Don't need to since I am making lunch instead since cooking is basically chemistry for me." said Spencer before looking at his teammates "I will see you guys on Thursday." said Spencer as he placed Piper in her car seat

* * *

Spencer entered the bedroom and heard Olivia's voice.

"Is Piper asleep?" asked Olivia through the bathroom door

"Yeah she is." said Spencer

At that moment Olivia exited the bathroom wearing nothing at all, causing Spencer to stare at her in shock.

"With it still being your birthday, I thought why not show off my birthday suit." smirked Olivia as she started untying Spencer's tie and unbuttoning his dress shirt while peppering kisses down his chest

As soon as Spencer's shirt and tie were thrown on the floor, Spencer was out of his shock. He scooped Olivia into his arms and carried her into bed.

* * *

Three hours later Spencer and Olivia were laying in bed covered in sweat, and Olivia looked at him.

"Did you like my last birthday surprise for you?" asked Olivia

Spencer nodded.

"We should take a shower, change the sheets, check on Piper and get some sleep ourselves." said Olivia

* * *

Spencer woke up to Piper babbling, and he grabbed his glasses off the nightstand to only find her laying on her belly in her pajamas next to him.

"Good morning Piper." smiled Spencer

Piper happily squealed at her daddy while being glad that she is awake since her mommy told her that she gets to spend the entire day with her him.

"Where's your mommy?" asked Spencer

"Right here." said Olivia as she entered the bedroom with a tray that held a plate of breakfast

"You are really spoiling me." said Spencer

"You have the day off today, and I wanted you to stay in bed longer." said Olivia as she placed the tray on Spencer's lap, sat on the bed and scooped up Piper "Did you have fun waking up your daddy?"

Piper started babbling her response, and Olivia looked at her husband.

"I have to get to work, so enjoy your day off." said Olivia

Spencer nodded before focusing on her breakfast as he watched Olivia say goodbye to Piper.

"You be good for your daddy." said Olivia

Piper smiled at her mommy before focusing her attention on her daddy who was eating the yummy food that she watched her mommy make.

"As soon as I am done eating we will get to play after we get dressed." said Spencer

At that moment Piper started babbling to her daddy as her way to tell him what she wanted to do during the day and Spencer nodded along as he ate breakfast.

* * *

Spencer opened the door to allow Elle inside.

"Glad that you could make it, and lunch is almost done." said Spencer

"Where's Piper?" asked Elle

At that moment Piper started squealing with laughter and Spencer chuckled.

"She is in the kitchen and she is probably being entertained by Einstein." said Spencer

"Einstein?" asked Elle

At that moment Spencer let out a whistle and Einstein came running into the room.

"Were you entertaining Piper?" asked Spencer as he scratched Einstein's ears

Elle looked at Einstein and then Spencer in shock and flashed back to Morgan telling him about the Reid-Effect.

"You got a dog that isn't affected by the Reid-Effect?" asked Elle as she watched the chocolate lab interact with Spencer

"Einstein is 10 months old right now and we got him when he was seven weeks old. Olivia claims that he is like an autism service dog for me since I got diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome on November 14th last year." said Spencer as they headed into the kitchen

"What are you making?" asked Elle as she smelled tomatoes and noticed a salad that was in progress

"Lasagna and a salad and what's leftover is what Olivia and I are going to heat up for dinner tonight when she gets home from work." said Spencer as he finished prepping the salad

"May I hold Piper while you finish making lunch?" asked Elle as she noticed that the oven was still on

"Sure." said Spencer as he checked the lasagna before finishing the salad

Elle removed Piper from the baby swing.

"You are such a pretty baby girl." cooed Elle

Piper started babbling right away and Elle looked at Spencer.

"When Gideon tracked me down he sent me a letter that included a photo of you, Olivia, and Piper. I was shocked to read that you got married." said Elle

"I think Morgan is still getting out of his shock that I got married and become a father before him." laughed Spencer as he pulled the lasagna out of the oven

"He is still the ladies man of the BAU?" asked Elle as she placed Piper back into her baby swing

"Yes he is, and Hotch is glad that I didn't let this job from allowing me to settle down and start my own family." said Spencer as he brought the salad to the table "What would you like to drink?" asked Spencer

"What do you have?" asked Elle

"We have almond milk, soda, juice, and water." said Spencer as he rummaged through the fridge, grabbing himself a bottle of water

"No coffee?" asked Elle

"I cut back on coffee big time last year, and I will explain later." said Spencer

"I will take a bottle of water." said Elle

Spencer grabbed a bottle of water and handed it to Elle, and she decided to bring up Spencer's marriage after they spent a few minutes eating in silence.

"How did you meet Olivia?" asked Elle as she took a bite of the lasagna

"I took a four month long sabbatical last year in May when the BAU was facing budget cuts, and Hotch agreed that I needed a long break from the FBI due to experiencing stress related migraines." said Spencer

"Stress related migraines?" asked Elle

"I had a few stressful years after you left, but I can explain more once I put Piper down for a nap after we're done eating." said Spencer as he noticed Piper's eyes drooping

"You should get her to bed before we talk." said Elle

"Strauss was the one to suggest that I take today off to spend extra time with Piper." said Spencer

"She's softer now?" asked Elle

"Rossi is the reason why she is getting soft, but she pretty much had a soft spot for me since she introduced herself." said Spencer

* * *

Spencer entered the living room and he saw Elle looking at pictures that were hung up.

"I just got Piper to go to sleep, and she will probably be up in three hours." said Spencer as he sat down, causing Elle to follow suit

"What did you mean about having a few stressful years?" asked Elle as she looked at the man she used to consider a little brother

"I might as well tell you about one case that was one of the many reasons that led Gideon to leave the FBI and not hear from him in over four years after his girlfriend was killed by an unsub." said Spencer

"What happened?" asked Elle

At that moment Spencer started talking about the Hankel case, and when he was finished explaining about how he got clean Elle spoke up.

"Seems like Hotch made sure to help you since he didn't want to lose an agent like you after what happened to me, and I regret not leaving you any contact information because if I knew what happened to you I would have come to help you right away to return the favor." said Elle

"Hotch told me he wanted to see the young agent who would do physics magic in the bullpen and use his eyes to avoid getting in trouble. He wanted to see me smiling and laughing again since he really missed seeing me smile and hearing my laughter." said Spencer

"I remember how your some of your smiles were so infectious, Hotch couldn't hold back a smile." said Elle

"I bet you probably realized he thought of me as a second son." said Spencer

"I thought that it was Gideon who considered you a second son, but I do remember how protective Hotch was of you." said Elle

"After Gideon left the BAU and traveled all over the country, I told Hotch that I was thinking about accepting one of my many job offers." said Spencer

"I bet he didn't take that well since Gideon and I were already gone during that time." said Elle softly

Spencer gave Elle a small smile since she was spot on.

"He told me to sit down and tell him everything and he wouldn't judge me since he said we should have talked while I was in the hospital right after Georgia instead of allowing me deal with everything on my own like you did. After I stopped talking he told me that he was going to make it a goal to keep a closer eye on me since I was struggling to stay sober." said Spencer

"How did Hotch help you reach one year clean?" asked Elle

"There were times that I stayed at the office as late as Hotch, and he would tell me that he was giving me a ride home before deciding to have me sleep on his couch after he realized that I had trouble sleeping. Plus he decided to keep my mind occupied with helping him do research for custodial interviews before heading to the prison where the inmate resides." said Spencer

"Who did you and Hotch interview?" asked Elle

"One of the inmates Hotch and I interviewed was Chester Hardwick." said Spencer

"Isn't he dead now." said Elle

Spencer nodded as he gave Elle a bitter laugh.

"What happened during that interview?" asked Elle

"Nothing like Chester Hardwick making sure that the interview happens when guards aren't going to be nearby since he wanted to escape death row. Plus Hotch antagonized the situation, and before things got worse I spent 13 minutes giving a profile of Chester Hardwick from scratch to save Hotch and myself since I do my best work under intense terror." said Spencer

"You do have a knack for staying calm during intense situations." said Elle as she thought about the time that she and Spencer were held hostage on that train and hearing Hotch say that Spencer stayed calm when they were held hostage in that ER

"A few months later, there was a case that brought up painful memories of the bullying I went through in high school, and I put myself in danger to stop the locals from killing the unsub themselves. A few weeks after that case, Hotch decided to have me help him present evidence at a trial from one of the cases I worked on and we shared a hotel room since Hotch wanted to keep an eye out for nightmares." said Spencer

"I can tell that Hotch did a much better job with you than Gideon did." said Elle

"Hotch was my training officer when I joined the BAU, and I met him when I was a 21 year old cadet in the academy since Gideon thought that Hotch could teach me how to shoot despite the waivers I received." said Spencer

At that moment Spencer heard Piper crying through the speaker and Spencer looked at Elle.

"I better go get her." said Spencer

A few minutes later Spencer entered the living room with Piper, and Elle looked at the father and daughter.

"I'm glad that you found the chance to fall in love, get married, and have a child of your own." said Elle

"I am too." said Spencer

"Maybe I will try and make it for Piper's first birthday party." said Elle

"Why wait until June to come visit again?" asked Spencer

"Remember what I told everyone about what I have been doing with my life?" asked Elle

"Yes, and that's a pretty good cause to help women and children get the help they need." said Spencer

"I am going to be spending seven months traveling through Mexico, Cuba, and other Spanish speaking countries." said Elle

"You better write me letters and I will make sure to send you pictures of the adventures I have with Olivia and Piper." said Spencer

"I promise." said Elle

* * *

 _A/N: I know that I have Diane Turner from Zugzwang showing up in this story even though I am not doing the Maeve storyline, but Diane Turner is in this story for a different storyline that is going to affect Spencer and Olivia and she is 20 years old instead of 25 years old like she was on the show._

 ** _The 2016 Profiler's Choice Awards are on! Calling all CM readers and Authors! Join us in the annual Profiler's Choice CM Awards; help us choose the best of the best Criminal Minds F_** _ **anfiction and let your voice be heard. Check out the nomination ballot and rules at the Profilers Choice Awards 2016 Forum. All rules and information can be found there. Nominations begin November 10, 2016 and end December 31, 2016 (please note: ballots received before November 10 will not be counted. Thank you). All entries with ten (10) or more categories filled out are eligible to win an Amazon gift card!**_


	11. God Complex

Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds

 _A/N: Shout out to OhSnapItsMadison, Tannerose5, Hippichic81, Chermayne, and southernbeauty13 for reviewing chapter 10._

 _Maeve and Bobby appears in this story, but they met Spencer and Olivia at Lamaze classes since they ended up giving birth to a daughter a week before Piper was born causing both couples to become friends when Maeve realized Spencer's identity since she is a fan of his published work. So Spencer is not cheating on Olivia, and Spencer and Olivia didn't tell Maeve about Spencer's stress related migraines since they gone away unless he gets sick._

 _Plus every Sunday when there isn't a case, Spencer, Olivia, and Piper go to Mass before meeting up with JJ, Will, and Henry for brunch so Henry can spend time with his godfather._

* * *

Spencer woke up to Olivia's side of the bed being empty but he ended up hearing Piper whimper through the baby monitor and Olivia trying to soothe her. He ended up grabbing his glasses and headed across the hall to Piper's nursery to find Olivia pacing the nursery with Piper in her arms.

"She OK?" asked Spencer

"She is cutting her first tooth so she's fussy." sighed Olivia

"Let me see." said Spencer as he sat down in the rocking chair and Olivia passed him Piper.

Spencer gently opened Piper's mouth and noticed a small white bump on her gums.

"Do we have teething rings in the freezer?" asked Spencer as he rocked Piper

"I will go get one while you try to calm her down." said Olivia as she left the nursery

At that moment Spencer started singing softly to Piper, and a few minutes later Olivia came into the nursery with Orajel.

"She stopped crying?" asked Olivia as she padded over to Spencer

Spencer nodded.

"Let me apply it to her gums." said Spencer

"OK." said Olivia as she passed Spencer the Orajel

A minute later Spencer had the Orajel applied to Piper's gums and looked at her.

"You should be feeling better soon." said Spencer as he got up from the rocking chair and spoke "What do you think about sleeping on my chest until it's time for you, mommy, and I to get ready for the day?"

Piper smiled right away causing Spencer to chuckle, and a few minutes later the Reid family were fast asleep in bed with Piper on her daddy's chest.

* * *

Spencer woke up to Piper's giggling and squinted at Piper who was laughing at the funny faces her mommy was giving her.

"Someone's feeling better." said Spencer as he put on his glasses

Piper turned her head and happily squealed when she saw that her daddy was finally awake so she scooted over to her him on her belly.

"She's probably going to start crawling soon." said Spencer as he scooped up Piper

"I think so too." said Olivia

Spencer looked at the clock and saw that it was 6 AM.

"How about you shave your face and get dressed." said Olivia as she took Piper from Spencer

"Yes ma'am." said Spencer as he got out of bed

* * *

Spencer walked out of the bathroom to find Olivia setting Piper who was wearing a t-shirt saying I LOVE MY DADDY and a skirt with leggings on her belly on the bed.

"I like that onesie." laughed Spencer as he grabbed a tie from his tie rack and passed it to Olivia

"Do you have time to meet Maeve, Bobby, and Andrea for breakfast with Piper and I?" asked Olivia

Spencer looked at his watch.

"Yes." said Spencer

"We can take separate vehicles so you can drive yourself in." said Olivia

"That would be a good idea." said Spencer as he removed his revolver from his safe on the nightstand and slipped it into his messenger bag before scooping Piper off the bed "We are going out for breakfast so you can see Andrea again." said Spencer as he tickled Piper's belly, making her laugh.

* * *

Spencer, Olivia, and Piper arrived at the diner where Maeve, Bobby, and Andrea were waiting.

"Sorry we're late. Piper needed a diaper change before we were able to leave the house." said Spencer

"It's OK." said Bobby as the Reid family sat across from Maeve, Andrea, and him

A few minutes later the Reids and the Putnams gave their orders, and Maeve decided to start a conversation about Piper.

"How has Piper been the past month?" asked Maeve

"She cut her first tooth last night." said Olivia as he watched Spencer make funny faces at Piper causing her to laugh "How is Andrea?"

"She cut her first tooth two nights ago." said Maeve

"It's going to be a hard few months as our daughters cut more teeth." said Olivia

At that moment a waitress brought everyone's breakfast to the table, and Spencer decided to talk about Maeve's project.

"How's your project going at Mendel University?" asked Spencer

"It's doing pretty great, and I am also teaching one class a day." said Maeve before looking at Olivia "How is teaching at Georgetown University?"

"This year I am an academic adviser for a bunch of my students who are devoted in earning a PhD in mathematics and eventually want to teach math." said Olivia

For the next few minutes Spencer, Olivia, Maeve, and Bobby were talking about how they were going to celebrate their daughter's first Halloween before Spencer's cellphone vibrated, causing him to reach into his messenger bag and notice a text from Garcia.

WE HAVE A CASE GET TO QUANTICO ASAP. ~ PG

"I know that look." said Olivia as she watched her husband grab his messenger bag and cardigan

"What happened?" asked Maeve

"He has a case, so he is in federal agent mode." said Olivia

"Don't know where I am going yet, but I will call you after briefing." said Spencer as he gave Olivia a kiss

"Please stay safe." said Olivia

"I promise." said Spencer before turning to Piper who was in her car seat "Daddy has to go away for a few days." said Spencer as he kissed her forehead and told her he loves her

"I love you Spencer." said Olivia

"Love you too Livy." said Spencer as he placed a few dollars on the table and looked at Piper "I love you Piper." said Spencer before walking to the door

Olivia watched her husband get into his car and Maeve looked at Olivia.

"Must be hard to have a husband who is on call 24/7 and travels all over the country." said Maeve

"It's hard, but Spencer and I make it work." said Olivia

* * *

"Well, my friends, you are heading to New Mexico. But pack your thermals, 'cause this case will make you go "brr." Our unsub du jour is taking right legs. The most recent victim, Tony Anders. He was dumped at a local motel. He's in surgery now. Looks like he's gonna pull through. The first victim, not so lucky. Richard Hubbell. He died during the leg absconding process, and his body was dumped just over the border in Juarez, Mexico." said Garcia as she showed pictures on the monitor

"Juarez is on the front lines of the cartels. Any drug connections between the victims?" asked Morgan

"They both just said no." said Garcia

"Tony Anders had I. V. bruising and surgical sutures on his stump." said JJ

"So the unsub operated on both victims. We're looking at a doctor." said Alex

"That's a first. Were the victims patients anywhere?" asked Rossi

"No. They were both the vision of health." said Garcia

"Tony had hypodermic needle marks on his neck. The unsub could have drugged him and brought him into the hospital for surgery." said Morgan

"Unlikely he could hide them in a hospital. Even the most experienced surgeon can't operate without supervision." said Hotch

"The goal of amputation is to remove dead tissue to preserve an otherwise healthy limb. Any first-year medical student will tell you that. But this unsub stitched the skin flap so tightly over Tony's stump that it didn't allow for proper blood flow and led to gangrene. He's not a surgeon." said Spencer

"What is he?" asked Morgan

"A butcher." said Spencer

As Spencer sat down at his desk, he pulled out his cellphone and called Olivia.

"Where are you flying too?" asked Olivia as she left the daycare room

"New Mexico." said Spencer

"Like I told you before, please stay safe." said Olivia

"I promise." said Spencer as he saw everyone finish making personal phone calls as he spoke "I have to go since it's a long flight."

"Love you." said Olivia

"Love you too." said Spencer as he hung up

* * *

"So, this unsub's got a thing for right legs and he's moving fast. Two victims in a week. What's the compulsion?" asked Rossi

Spencer looked at Rossi who was sitting next to him.

"You know, the fact that one of the victims was left in a motel room makes me think it's not a compulsion at all. Maybe it's black market." said Spencer

"What's the going rate for a leg these days?" asked Morgan

"Mm, pretty good. In 2002, tendons were shipped from South Africa to the U. S. and sold to private medical and biotech companies." said JJ

"The body parts trade coexists with the drug trade in border towns." said Hotch

"Let's say it's a chop shop. That means we're looking for a small team or network." said Alex

"One that usually deals with the dead before the living. Did Garcia find any overlap with victimology?" asked Spencer as he looked at Hotch

"Just that they were both organ donors. She cross-referencing with the United Network for Organ Sharing." said Hotch

"U. N. O. S. deals with vital organs, but we're talking limbs." said JJ

"Yeah, but hospitals around the country are networked into it. If the unsub is a medical professional, he might have access to it, and by extension, the victims." said Spencer

"Reid, you and JJ go to Juarez and look at Richard Hubbell's body. Morgan and Dave, go talk to Tony Anders. And Blake and I will investigate the black market angle." said Hotch

At that moment Spencer's phone vibrated and his lips curled into a grin when he saw the photo that Olivia sent him of Piper.

I WENT TO CHECK ON HER DURING MY LUNCH BREAK AND GAVE HER THAT KISS YOU ASKED ME TO GIVE HER. SHE GAVE ME A WIDE GRIN. ~ OR

"A photo of Piper?" asked Hotch

Spencer nodded.

"How's Piper doing?" asked JJ

"Would you believe me that I wish that she wasn't growing as fast she is. She just turned four months old five days ago." said Spencer

"Time does go fast." said Hotch

"This morning when I woke up to her laughing at the faces Olivia was making to her. As soon as I spoke up to alert Piper that I was awake, she squealed before scooting her way over to me." said Spencer as he smiled at the memory

"You are really enjoying fatherhood." said Rossi

"Yep." said Spencer as he popped the P

Alex looked at Spencer.

"Piper is a very lucky girl to have you as her father." said Alex

Spencer's lips curled into a bigger grin at the mention of his little girl.

"I feel lucky to have Piper as my daughter." said Spencer

"Have you and Olivia talked about having another child since Piper's now four months old?" asked JJ

"With Piper's first Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas coming up within the next few months, Olivia and I want to get through these holidays first so next year Olivia and I are going to revisit the topic about trying for another child." said Spencer before adding "With me just turning 31 and Olivia turning 29 next January, we still have plenty of time to have a few more kids."

"Are you, Olivia, and Piper still going to join Jack and I for trick or treating next week?" asked Hotch

"We are planning on it." said Spencer

JJ looked at Spencer and Hotch.

"Mind if Henry and I join you guys?" asked JJ

"Jack would love to spend time with Henry again." said Hotch

* * *

Spencer was removing the sheet halfway off of Richard's body to look at Richard's legs as JJ came over to him.

"Maybe dumping the body down here was a forensic countermeasure." said JJ

"Probably, but it's the deviation in M. O. that stumps me. Pun intended. Two different victims, two different amputations." said Spencer

At that moment JJ decided to be playful.

"All right, so what do you see, doctor?" asked JJ

Spencer said what he was reading from the clip board.

"This amputation was transtibial, but the survivor was transfemoral." said Spencer

"So his leg was cut below the knee, and Tony's was cut above." said JJ

Spencer looked at Richard's leg and spoke up.

"The cutting here was pristine, nerve and vascular dissection was careful, well-ligated. I mean, this unsub definitely knew what he was doing medically." said Spencer

"I thought you said the unsub wasn't a doctor." said JJ

"I said he wasn't a surgeon, but his knowledge of anatomy and procedure shows definite medical training." said Spencer as JJ noticed something

"Hey, Spence? This hole in the bone? It's perfectly circular." said JJ

Spencer who was crouching down a bit, spoke up.

"The medical examiner said that was most likely caused by animals." said Spencer

"It's bored in. It's like he drilled it." said JJ

"Not with any surgical tool that I'm familiar with." said Spencer

"Well, maybe this is what he's been trying to hide from us." said JJ as she and Spencer glanced at each other

* * *

"Based on the way this unsub treats his victims, we need to look at this case a different way." said Spencer as he and JJ told everyone what they figured out

"We know it's not for profit and we know he's not a killer." said JJ

"So what is he?" asked Rossi

"A scientist, or at least he sees himself that way." said Spencer

"Which means he sees his victims as test subjects." said Alex

"And if we're right, we're not going to see the usual signature or consistent victimology. There's no compulsion, sexual or otherwise." said Spencer

"So there won't be a trigger or a stressor either." said Morgan

"That doesn't leave a lot to profile." said Rossi

"Not true. We do have his medical technique. And based on the remnants of Hubbell's surgery, I think the unsub's experimenting." said Spencer

"With what? A new way to amputate?" asked Hotch

"The hole in his knee makes us think it's more radical than that." said JJ

"Amputating the leg is not the unsub's goal. Reattaching it is." said Spencer

"You think this unsub's performing transplants?" asked Alex

"It explains why he only wanted Tony Anders' leg." said Hotch

"I think that's the experiment. He wants to see if he can put a foreign leg on someone else's body." said Spencer before letting out a yawn

"Seems like Olivia didn't let you go to bed right away last night." smirked Morgan

"It's not that." said Spencer before continuing when Morgan gave him a look "Piper was really fussy last night since she has her first tooth cutting in so she spent most of last night crying." said Spencer

"I remember those days." said Hotch

"At least Olivia and I have teething rings and Orajel on hand." said Spencer

"And Piper is probably going to start putting your tie in her mouth." said Hotch

"Was Jack like that with your ties when you would say bye to him?" asked Spencer

Hotch nodded.

* * *

Spencer was looking at Carl's leg when Morgan came into the room.

"The camera pick up anything?" asked Spencer

"He dropped him off a block away. This poor guy limped into the hospital on a leg that wasn't his." said Morgan

"What's the note say?" asked Spencer

"The unsub helpfully suggests a high dose of cyclosporine for his patient, Carl Timmons." said Morgan

"It wouldn't have made any difference. I mean, gangrene and sepsis had already set in. There's nothing the hospital could have done." said Spencer as he crouched down a bit to look at Carl's body better "This doesn't make any sense, Morgan."

"Well, does it ever, Reid?" asked Morgan

"This unsub is supposed to have a background in science, right?" asked Spencer as Morgan nodded before he continued "Why is his science so bad? He amputated Carl's leg, sewed it up, and then reopened the sutures for transplant?"

"You find anything on the knee?" asked Morgan

Spencer rose to his full height as he held up an evidence bag.

"He left his handiwork in this time." said Spencer as Morgan took the bag

"It's a surgical implant. Maybe that's what he was trying to perfect, transplanting the leg onto an amputee." said Morgan

"Medically impossible. You can't graft a leg onto someone else's stump." said Spencer

"Well, you and I know that, and this guy must know that, but maybe he just won't stop until he succeeds." said Morgan

"A doctor that can't admit he's wrong? It's time to give the profile." said Spencer

* * *

"The unsub we're looking for is a doctor with a severe God complex. His narcissism makes him believe that he can defy human biology and anatomy." said JJ

"His narcissism has likely caused problems in his career. So look for doctors who've lost their licenses or medical students who've had ethical violations." said Hotch

"With a psychopath like this, shouldn't we also be looking at released mental patients?" asked Detective Gonzalez

"We don't think he is a psychopath." said Rossi

"Psychopaths rarely have the training and discipline for medical school or residency." said Morgan

"So this unsub won't behave in an antisocial manner. He's probably successful, respectful, outgoing." said Alex

"We think that he can maintain healthy relationships, and his neighbors probably know him well." said Hotch

"And his background makes us think he lives a mid- to upper class lifestyle. He may be married and have kids. If so, he would be devoted to both." said JJ

"So don't look for the weirdo in the van with no windows. Look for the pillars of the community." said Rossi

"Yeah, but if he's so well-known, how's he hiding these operations from all these people?" asked Detective Gonzalez

"Through a psychological process called doubling. He acts one way professionally, but he acts another way at home." said Rossi

"It's occurred before in history. Like the Nazi doctors in Auschwitz and Dachau." said Rossi

"They could separate their genocidal actions from their normal lives as fathers, healers, and husbands." said Alex

"And like the doctors under Hitler's regime, this unsub's sense of superiority supersedes the Hippocratic oath." finished Spencer

* * *

Spencer was sitting at the conference room table with Hotch while conferencing in with Garcia.

"Looking through doctors and med students in the area, and there are a lot of washouts who fit the profile." said Garcia

"What about the prosthetic attachment from Carl Timmons' leg? Is there anything identifiable on it?" asked Hotch

"Yeah. I just sent you the chemical breakdown from our lab. It's mostly a thick polymer designed to withstand the constant mobility of the leg." said Garcia

Hotch read what Garcia sent him on his tablet.

"So the resin is coated in plastic?" asked Hotch

"Mm-hmm. It's a combination of organic and inorganic materials." said Garcia as Spencer got up from where he was sitting

"That's probably to stave off rejection." asked Hotch as he watched Reid look at the clear board

"Garcia, is the resin biodegradable?" asked Spencer

"As a matter of fact, yes. How is it you know everything?" asked Garcia

"All this time we assumed he's a doctor. But what if he isn't? What if he has the training in cutting and stitching but never went to medical school?" asked Spencer

"Where do you get training like that?" asked Hotch

"I think he could be a mortician." said Spencer

Hotch pulled out his phone and called JJ to tell her what he and Reid figured out.

At that moment Spencer's phone vibrated and he saw a text from Olivia.

DO YOU HAVE TIME FOR A PHONE CALL? ~ OR

Spencer looked at Hotch.

"Olivia is wondering if I can talk to her on the phone for a few minutes." said Spencer

"Go ahead." said Hotch

Spencer walked to a quiet corner and dialed Olivia's number. A few seconds later he heard her voice.

"Hey Spencer." said Olivia tiredly

"What's up?" asked Spencer as he heard Piper crying in the background

"Piper has been really fussy, and I think having her hear your voice can help calm her down." said Olivia

"I guess I can try since it worked yesterday." said Spencer

At that moment Olivia had her phone on speaker, and he heard Olivia speak to Piper.

"Your daddy's on the phone." said Olivia

At that moment Piper stopped crying and Spencer shook his head, knowing that he gained looks from his teammates and Detective Gonzalez.

"You having a rough day Piper?" asked Spencer

Piper started babbling to her daddy as her way to tell him that her gums are hurting.

"I think she is telling you that her gums hurt." chuckled Olivia as she placed Piper in her crib

"I think so too, but maybe it's time for us to teach her baby sign language so she can tell us what she is trying to tell us." said Spencer

"How about you tell Piper goodnight before I allow you to get back to work." said Olivia

"Goodnight Piper, and Daddy loves you." said Spencer

Piper babbled her goodnight to her daddy before she tiredly closed her eyes.

"Thanks for helping me get her to sleep." said Olivia

"Not a problem Livy." said Spencer

"Call me later if you have a chance?" asked Olivia

"I will try." said Spencer

"Please continue staying safe and I love you." said Olivia

"I love you and Piper too." said Spencer before hanging up and walking over to Hotch and Detective Gonzalez who were talking

"Everything alright with Piper?" asked Hotch

"Even though she is usually a happy baby, she is pretty fussy due to her first tooth that is erupting. Olivia thought that having Piper hear my voice will get her to stop crying, and it worked since I was able to help get her to sleep." said Spencer

"How old is your daughter Dr. Reid?" asked Detective Gonzalez

"She is four months old." said Spencer as he showed Detective Gonzalez a picture that Olivia sent him earlier

Detective Gonzalez looked at the photo before looking at Spencer.

"She's a beautiful baby." said Detective Gonzalez

"Thanks." said Spencer as his teammates came back from following leads

* * *

"The victim's name is Maria Rodriguez." said Morgan

"First time he's operated on a woman." said Spencer

"He transplanted a left leg this time." said Morgan

"She died from blood loss. There's no gangrene on the transplanted leg, which means the surgery's fresh." said Spencer as he got up to his full height and turned off his flashlight

"You think he still has the other woman?" asked Morgan

"It justifies his haste in dumping her here. Why didn't he go to the desert or a hospital?" asked Spencer

"It also means he's speeding up his surgeries." said Morgan

As Spencer got into the SUV, he thought of someone who could help him figure out something and he sent Olivia a text.

CAN YOU CALL MAEVE AND ASK HER IF SHE IS ABLE TO DO A PHONE CONSULT FOR ME? THERE'S SOMETHING THAT I CAN'T FIGURE OUT, BUT I THOUGHT THAT OUR GENETICIST FRIEND CAN HELP ME FIGURE WHAT I AM MISSING IF SHE ISN'T TOO BUSY RIGHT NOW. ~ SR  
Spencer looked out the window and a few minutes later he got a text from Olivia.

MAEVE IS WAITING FOR YOUR PHONE CALL. ~ OR

TELL HER THAT IT'S GOING TO BE A LITTLE BIT YET SINCE I AM HEADING BACK TO THE STATION RIGHT NOW. ~ SR

* * *

Spencer looked at his teammates as he pulled out his cellphone.

"I need to make a phone call to a friend of Olivia's who can help us out and help talk me through something that we am missing." said Spencer

"Who?" asked Hotch

"Dr. Maeve Putnam who is a geneticist. She became friends with Olivia after attending Lamaze classes, and Maeve has read articles that I published in psychology journals and science journals. She's married and has a four month old daughter. She goes by her maiden name Dr. Maeve Donovan when it comes to publishing articles." said Spencer

"Just like Olivia does when she published articles since marrying you." said Alex

"Go ahead and call her." said Hotch

Spencer found an empty room and dialed Maeve's cellphone number. A minute later he heard Maeve's voice.

"Dr. Donovan." said Maeve

"It's Spencer." said Spencer

"Olivia said that you were going to call me. So how can I help you?" asked Maeve

Spencer explained the case to Maeve before telling her what was bothering him about it.

"At first I just thought he was taking whoever was available." said Spencer

"Except he's operating a bloodmobile." said Maeve

"Yes, thank you, exactly. That's not an accident. He's obviously using it as a cover to screen for something, and that's why I'm calling you. I'm hoping that you can help me figure out what he's screening for." said Spencer

Maeve, who was jotting down notes in her home office spoke up.

"You know, what you're describing reminds me of Josef Mengele." said Maeve

"Yeah, we worked doubling into the profile." said Spencer

"No, I mean Mengele's experiments on twins. He operated on thousands of them. Why?" asked Maeve

"I don't know, actually." said Spencer

"He thought he could repopulate Germany faster if he could figure out a way to get women to conceive with multiple embryos." said Maeve

"So you think this guy's pursuing his own impossible cause." said Spencer

"Before he transplants, he turns them into amputees. That's part of his experiment. What if there's a condition the victim shares, something involving amputation?" asked Spencer

"It doesn't make sense. He couldn't screen for that genetically." said Maeve

"Unless it's congenital, something that caused the amputation in utero?" asked Spencer

"The way Thalidomide caused birth defects in pregnant moms." said Maeve

"Exactly. So I guess the question is, what else causes birth defects?" asked Spencer

"That's a long list. Chromosomal, fetal alcohol syndrome." said Maeve

"What if we focused on what causes limb deformities specifically?" asked Spencer

"Uh, rubella, herpes, among others. Herpes is most common, but it isn't screened for when you donate blood." said Maeve

"But there are a lot of different strains of herpes. You know, chickenpox, for instance. If a mother isn't inoculated and she passes the virus in utero, can't that cause birth defects?" asked Spencer

"Yeah. Among other things, it can lead to limb hypoplasia." said Maeve

"The binding of which would appear similar to amputation." said Spencer

"But if it's a condition in the mother, why operate on men the first 3 times?" asked Maeve

"Those were trial runs. Now that he's operating on women, he thinks he's found an answer." said Spencer before speaking up again "So thank you for your help." said Spencer

"I'm glad that I can help you since you and Olivia babysat Andrea so Bobby and I could have a few hours to ourselves. Just so you know, Bobby, Andrea, and I are coming over for dinner tomorrow evening so hopefully you are back home to Olivia and Piper by then." said Maeve

"I am hoping that I am home, but please tell Bobby that I said hello, and I have to get going." said Spencer

"I will let him know." said Maeve before hanging up

Spencer exited the empty office and he approached Hotch.

"We need to isolate the married ones, and the wife should have a limb deformity caused by chicken pox." said Spencer

"That's pretty helpful." said Hotch

"It's helpful that I am in contact with other PhD holders in the DC area, and Maeve told me that she, her husband, and their daughter Andrea are coming over for dinner tomorrow night so Piper and Andrea can have a play date despite both girls being only four months old." said Spencer as he found a picture of Andrea and Piper smiling on his phone

"Haley used to set up play dates with other mothers from Lamaze classes." said Hotch as he dialed Garcia's number

"Speak and be heard." said Garcia through the speaker

"Garcia, did you get the mortician's records?" asked Hotch

"Ready and waiting." said Garcia

"Isolate the married ones. We're looking for limb deformities in the wife caused by chickenpox." said Hotch

Garcia did some typing before speaking up.

"That's about as narrow as it gets. Eureka! Linda Nelson, married to John Nelson. Quit his job at the funeral home two months ago. Sending address now." said Garcia

"Take Rossi and JJ. Bring him in for questioning." said Hotch

Spencer walked away to find Rossi and JJ.

"We have a suspect." said Spencer

"Let's go." said Rossi

"Olivia's friend must be smart." said JJ

"Like I said before, Olivia and I have friends who don't work for the FBI or Georgetown University." said Spencer as he strapped on his vest

* * *

Spencer was holding up his revolver when they entered the room where John was holding his two hostages.

"FBI!" shouted Rossi

"John Nelson, put the needle down." ordered JJ

"I have potassium chloride in this. If you don't get out of here right now, this is a dead woman." said John as he held up a needle

"John, don't do this!" cried Linda

"Doctor, the experiment is over. If you kill her, no one will see your work." said Spencer

"My work. My work. You don't understand. I've perfected this. This is my last test." said John

"Drop it now!" ordered Rossi

John looked at Linda.

"Then I can fix you." said John

"I never wanted to be fixed." cried Linda

Spencer quickly formulated a plan in his mind and lowered his revolver as Rossi looked at him, realizing that he is going to use his words.

"Linda." said Spencer causing Linda to look at him "Linda. You are the one that he loves. You're the only one that can convince him what he's doing is wrong."

"John. John, look at me." said Linda

"Huh." said John

"It's over." cried Linda

"But... I can make you better." said John

"I'm not the one who's sick, John. Now drop the needle... Or I'll tell them to shoot." sobbed Linda

John dropped the needle and Spencer made his way over to Linda to help her up as John was handcuffed.

"Oh, John!" cried Linda

"It's OK. It's OK." soothed Spencer as JJ handcuffed John

* * *

Spencer got into the SUV and sent Olivia a text.

I AM GOING TO BE FLYING HOME IN A FEW HOURS. SO CAN YOU SEND MAEVE A TEXT AND LET HER KNOW THAT HER CONSULT HELPED MY TEAMMATES AND I FIND THE UNSUB. ~ SR

A few seconds later Olivia replied.

WHEN ARE YOU GOING TO BE HOME? ~ OR

GOING TO THE OFFICE FIRST FOR POST CASE PAPERWORK, AND THEN I HAVE THE DAY OFF.~ SR

A few minutes later Spencer's phone vibrated.

SEE YOU TOMORROW THEN, AND PIPER CAN JUST GO TO DAYCARE SO YOU CAN CATCH UP ON SLEEP. ~ OR

* * *

Spencer was reading one of his Sherlock Holmes books that Olivia got him for his birthday, and a short while later Morgan sat across from him.

"That's one hell of a consult you got earlier." said Morgan

"It's helpful that I have friends within the academic community who are professors, researchers, or work for the government like me." said Spencer

Morgan thought about what Spencer said earlier about Piper starting teething.

"How's Piper doing since cutting her first tooth?" asked Morgan

"She still has more teeth to cut within the next year, but pretty soon Piper will be eating solid food which will probably please Olivia since that means no having to wake up during the night to feed her." said Spencer

"Have any new photos to show me?" asked Morgan

Spencer pulled out his phone and he found one of Piper and Andrea.

"That is Andrea who is Maeve and Bobby's daughter, and Maeve and Olivia are part of the same mommy and me class that Olivia is part of while Bobby and I are part of a daddy and me class." said Spencer

"Starting to socialize Piper a bit early." said Morgan

"If Piper is going to end up with Asperger's syndrome, I was told to start socializing her early just to be safe. And with the few classes I attended already, a bunch of the fathers in the group are jealous that I can handle stinky diapers better than them." said Spencer

"It's helpful that examining dead bodies at crime scenes and morgues helps you develop a strong stomach." said Morgan

"I know." laughed Spencer

"So are there any single mothers in those classes that Olivia attends with Piper?" asked Morgan

"I am not telling you man, but you will know it when you find the right girl like I did." smirked Spencer as he showed Morgan a few other pictures of Piper


	12. The Good Earth

Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds

 _A/N: Shout out to OhSnapItsMadison_ _and_ _Chermayne for reviewing chapter 11._

 _I ended up omitting the conversation about Spencer hating the beach between Spencer and JJ since Olivia was able to get Spencer to enjoy going to the beach when they started dating._

* * *

Olivia looked at Spencer.

"What should the three of us dress up as for Halloween this year?" asked Olivia as she watched Piper giggle at the slight of hand tricks Spencer was doing for her

"Could we do a Doctor Who theme?" asked Spencer as he made his five year medallion dance across his knuckles

Olivia watched Piper focus on her daddy, and watching him do magic tricks gave her an idea.

"What about having you dress up as a magician, Piper as a bunny, and me as your lovely assistant." said Olivia

Spencer turned his head and grinned at the idea.

"With that grin on your face, I take it as a yes." laughed Olivia

Spencer nodded as he turned over to Piper.

"What do you think about dressing up as a bunny for your very first Halloween?" asked Spencer

Piper smiled at the idea of being a bunny for Halloween.

"At least you have a tuxedo to wear." said Olivia

"Let's head over to the store to buy Piper a bunny costume, a cape, and a top hat." said Spencer

* * *

Spencer, Olivia, and Piper were walking through the costume aisle at Wal-mart, and Spencer heard a voice.

"Uncle Spencer. Aunt Olivia." said Jack

Spencer and Olivia turned their heads and grinned when they saw Hotch and Jack.

"You going shopping for your Halloween costume?" asked Spencer

"Yep." said Jack and he grinned when he saw Piper "Hey there, Piper." said Jack

Piper started babbling right away at her god-brother, and Spencer chuckled as he looked at Hotch.

"We are shopping for Piper's Halloween costume and the finishing touches for my costume." said Spencer

Hotch looked in the cart and noticed a bunny costume for a baby, a top hat, and a cape.

"You dressing as a magician and Piper as a bunny?" asked Hotch

"It was my idea as I watched Spencer entertain Piper with magic tricks." said Olivia

"What are you dressing up as Aunt Olivia?" asked Jack

"I am dressing up as your Uncle Spencer's assistant, and luckily I have a dress that will work." said Olivia

Spencer looked at Jack.

"Speaking of magic tricks, check your pocket." said Spencer

Jack checked the pocket of his jeans and found a $1 dollar bill.

"How did you do that Uncle Spencer?" asked Jack

"Like I told you many times before, a magician never reveals his secrets." smirked Spencer

Hotch shook his head.

"Would you two like to come over for dinner?" asked Olivia

"Are you sure?" asked Hotch as he watched Spencer make faces at Piper, causing her to laugh

"Piper needs to spend time with her godfather, and Einstein is missing Jack." smiled Olivia

Hotch looked at his son who was looking at him.

"What do you think, bud?" asked Hotch

"I do miss Einstein, and I want to show Piper the magic trick that Uncle Spencer has been teaching me." said Jack

"Have you been practicing?" asked Spencer

Jack nodded and Spencer gave Jack a high five.

"What's on the menu for tonight?" asked Hotch

"We are having tacos for dinner tonight." said Olivia

At that moment Spencer perked up and looked at Olivia.

"Really?" asked Spencer

"Yes." said Olivia

Spencer grinned at his wife before looking at Jack.

"Olivia makes the best tacos." said Spencer

"You eat everything I cook Spencer." said Olivia

"What time is dinner?" asked Hotch

Olivia looked at her husband's watch.

"6:30." said Olivia

Hotch looked at his son.

"We should allow your Uncle Spencer and Aunt Olivia to finish shopping." said Hotch

"OK daddy." said Jack

* * *

"Those of you who like a good mystery, please unleash your inner Agatha Christie, 'cause this one's a real humdinger. Gary Ellard, Barry Deaver, Paul Hicks, Terry Rodgers. Over the course of the last month and a half, these 4 men have gotten in their cars in La Grande, Oregon, and drove into the never to be seen againsville, poof, gone. The latest victim, Terry Rodgers, disappeared 24 hours ago." said Garcia

"Forensic evidence point us anywhere?" asked JJ

"Uh, point would imply there is evidence, and there is no evidence, at least for the first 3 victims." said Garcia

"No forensics, no witnesses, no ransom demands. Maybe these guys just voluntarily decided to hit the road." said Morgan

"4 sudden disappearances in a community this small? This isn't about seeking green pastures." said Rossi

"Based on last known sightings, we're dealing with a sizeable geographic area." said Hotch

"He's efficient and well organized. It's not easy to make 4 people vanish and stay vanished." said Morgan

"It has been done before, though. Political kidnappings frequently require holding multiple adults simultaneously." said Spencer

"Or, they're already dead. Nothing says "can't be found" like a shallow grave in the middle of nowhere." said Rossi

"Assuming they are alive, how is the unsub controlling them?" asked Alex

"And for what purpose?" asked JJ

"The time between abductions is shortening with each victim. Wheels up in 30." said Hotch

A few minutes later Spencer pulled out his cellphone and dialed Olivia's number.

"Going to Oregon, which means I am going to miss Piper's check up." said Spencer

"I can always call you after her appointment and tell you how it went." said Olivia

"I know, but hopefully I am back for trick or treating." said Spencer

"Has anyone pressed you about our Halloween costumes, even though Aaron and Jack already know?" asked Olivia as she thought about when they ran into Hotch and Jack at the store a few days prior

"I keep on saying that it's top secret, and it's a good thing that we had the clothing we needed to scrounge up our costumes." said Spencer as his lips curled up into a grin at the thought of being a magician for Halloween

"Well, my favorite magician, I will let you go so you can catch your plane." said Olivia

At that moment Spencer switched to Korean so he doesn't give away the costume theme.

"Well, my lovely assistant who is the mother of my beautiful rabbit, I will let you go." said Spencer

"Stay safe and Piper and I love you." said Olivia

"I promise to stay safe. I love you and Piper too." said Spencer before hanging up

* * *

"Garcia, anything on the last victim, Terry Rodgers?" asked Hotch

"Only that he's unemployed and lives in a cabin in the woods. But primitive, like no flush toilet primitive." said Garcia

"That doesn't fit the victimology of the other 3. Ellard coaches track and field at a local college, Deaver's a small business owner, and Hicks is an attorney." said Morgan

"All married with young families." said JJ

"Another difference the first 3 victims were all born and raised in La Grande. Terry Rodgers only moved to town a couple of months ago." said Rossi

"Do you know where from, Garcia?" asked Spencer

"Rhode Island. Though there's a 5-month gap between Terry being in Rhode Island and then arriving in Oregon. Where he was and what he was doing is a big fat blank." said Garcia

"It says here that vomit was found in the vicinity of his abduction." said Morgan

"Mm. Thank you for reminding me of that disgusting detail, Dreamy D. Yes, that vomit has been collected and is being analyzed as we speak, and I'm very grateful that I have this job and someone has that one that's not me." said Garcia

Spencer shook his head since he's dealt with Piper spitting up a few times.

"Rodgers is the obvious anomaly of the 4, but there's no apparent overlap between any of the victims." said Spencer

"Almost like the unsub was selecting his targets at random." said Alex

"Blake, you and Morgan go talk to the families of the victims. See if there's something that links them that's not on paper. Dave and I will go to the abduction site. Reid, you and JJ go to Terry Rodgers' cabin. He's the one we know least about. Maybe he made himself obscure for a reason." said Hotch

Spencer got up from his seat to fix himself a cup of coffee, and JJ approached him.

"Is Henry excited about Halloween?" asked Spencer

"He doesn't want to go trick or treating." sighed JJ

"What happened?" asked Spencer

JJ started explaining what happened, and when she was done she looked at Spencer.

"I just hope that Piper doesn't refuse to go trick or treating since Halloween is one of your favorite holidays." said JJ as she thought of the time that Spencer would come to work wearing a mask around Halloween and decorate his desk a bit

"I hope so too, but I am excited about dressing up with Piper for Halloween." said Spencer

"Are you even going to reveal what you, Olivia, and Piper are dressing up as?" asked JJ as she looked at the father of her goddaughter

"Not yet, but Hotch and Jack knows since we ran into them at the store." said Spencer

Morgan who overheard looked at Hotch.

"You know what Reid, Olivia, and Piper are going to be for Halloween?" asked Morgan

"I have been sworn to secrecy, and I am afraid of what Reid is going to do if I tell you guys." said Hotch

Morgan looked at Hotch.

"Your afraid of Reid?" asked Morgan

Hotch shook his head.

"I don't want to be a victim of one of his pranks since I know better than to mess with a Cal-tech grad, and you have been a victim of a Halloween prank of his before on the day he was wearing a Frankenstein mask, monster hands, and a noose around his neck." said Hotch

Spencer laughed since he remembered that day.

* * *

"You know, aside from the outhouse, this cabin isn't so primitive." said Spencer as he walked around the cabin

"OK. Economics, philosophy, political theory. Not exactly breezy, take to the beach reading." said JJ as she went through some books

"I would take those types of books to the beach." said Spencer as he thought about the past trips to the beach he took with Olivia while rifling through the shelves

"You know, there's a lot of material here about global warming, overcrowding. The evils of technology." said JJ as Spencer reached for something on the top shelf "There's no phone, no TV. I wonder what this guy does for fun."

Spencer opened a container as he spoke.

"I think maybe I just found the answer." said Spencer as he held up a bag filled with marijuana

* * *

Spencer and JJ entered the room they were told that the rest of their teammates were in, and Rossi addressed them first.

"So, did you learn anything?" asked Rossi

"Terry Rodgers definitely wanted to live off the grid. A small generator for minimal electrical needs. No phone, no TV, no radio." said Spencer

"And lots of material about the evils of technology, living healthy off the land, that sort of thing." said JJ

"Sounds like the unabomber." said Rossi

"We did find a small stash of marijuana hidden away." said Spencer

"Did you find any evidence that a baby lived there or visited there?" asked Hotch

"Uh, no, why?" asked JJ

"I just got the list of things that he bought at the supermarket." said Hotch

"4 jars of baby food." said JJ

Sheriff Colwin looked at the BAU as she got off the phone.

"A body matching Rodgers' description was found in a river 10 miles out of town." said Sheriff Colwin

* * *

Spencer was standing in the bullpen with his teammates and Hotch started giving the profile.

"We believe the unsub that we're looking for is a woman, who is highly organized, she's thorough, and she's patient." said Hotch

"Based on the complexity and sophistication of the abductions, we think she is most likely between the ages of 30 and 40." said Spencer as he moved his hands while talking

"She's familiar with the rural area surrounding La Grande. Either a native or someone who's lived there for a while." said Rossi

"We think she's keeping her victims in isolation in the countryside, which means she has access to land or a structure that is remote, hidden, and private." said Morgan

"She's abducting exceptionally health conscious men, ideal specimens, if you will." said Alex

"Specimens. For what?" asked Sheriff Colwin

"Possible breeding." answered JJ

"Ability to father children is something we think she's looking for in her victims. They're all age appropriate, and they are all fathers." said Hotch

"But why kill the last victim?" asked Sheriff Colwin

"She may have seen him as being flawed. He was the least physically fit of the 4, and neglected to pay child support." said Spencer

"Making him undesirable." said Alex

"The victims may be surrogates for a man that she wants but she cannot have." said Morgan

"Because she killed the last victim, we have to consider the possibility that the unsub is engaged in some sort of elimination process." said Rossi

"Preselecting a handful of prime candidates and then whittling them down one by one until she has her ideal breeding partner." said JJ

"And if this is the case, then the killing's just begun." said Hotch

After the officers walked away, Spencer's cellphone rang and he saw that it was Olivia and glanced at Hotch.

"Go ahead and answer it." said Hotch

Spencer quickly answered his phone as he walked to a quiet corner.

"What's up?" asked Spencer softly

"I just left the doctor's office with Piper for her check up, and Dr. Carter wants me to start weaning Piper from breast milk and start trying to feed her solids." said Olivia

"Based on how she has doubled in weight since her birth over four months ago, watching us eat, and able to hold her head up I am not even surprised." said Spencer

"You profiled our daughter?" asked Olivia

"I would not profile our four month old daughter, but when she is older I might have to catch her in a lie." said Spencer

Olivia laughed before getting serious.

"So back to feeding Piper solids, I was told that we should try to feed her pureed vegetables, pureed fruit." said Olivia

Before Olivia could finish Spencer decided to interrupt.

"And pureed meat." finished Spencer

"Exactly." said Olivia

"So do you want to wait on trying to feed Piper solids when I get back or are you going to start today?" asked Spencer

"I will wait until you get back so you can use magic tricks to distract her." said Olivia

Spencer shook his head.

"You afraid that she will refuse to eat for you?" asked an amused Spencer

"She has you wrapped around her little finger." laughed Olivia

"I guess we can wait on giving her solids until I am home, but I have to get going." said Spencer

"And I have to start making dinner." said Olivia

"I love you." said Spencer

"Love you too and please stay safe." said Olivia before hanging up

Spencer made his way over to Hotch who was talking to Sheriff Colwin.

"Everything alright with Piper?" asked Hotch

"Who is Piper?" asked Sheriff Colwin

Spencer smiled at the thought of his little girl before answering.

"My four month old daughter who just had a check up, and my wife called to tell me how it went." said Spencer as he showed Sheriff Colwin a picture of Piper

"She's a cutie." said Sheriff Colwin

"She's beautiful like her mother." said Spencer

"How is my goddaughter doing?" asked Hotch

"It seems like Piper is ready to start eating solids." said Spencer

* * *

Spencer was standing by the clear board going through a file when Sheriff Colwin came into the room.

"I'm still waiting on the full M. E. report on Terry Rodgers. They say they want to retest some of the findings." said Sheriff Colwin

"Did they say why?" asked JJ

"No." said Sheriff Colwin

Rossi looked at Hotch and noticed the scowl on Hotch's face.

"I recognize that scowl, Aaron. What are you thinking?" asked Rossi

"Something Garcia said earlier about not being able to sit on a park bench in this country without leaving a paper trail." said Hotch

"And?" asked JJ

"So what if Rodgers wasn't in the country for those 5 months?" asked Hotch

"It wouldn't be the first time someone crossed borders to get away from troubles." said Rossi

Spencer decided to use that moment to tell his teammates what he found out as he walked over to them and Sheriff Colwin.

"Guys, there's something interesting about this grocery list." said Spencer

"What?" asked Sheriff Colwin

"Look at the items he bought in bulk. Garlic, green tea, vitamin D, ginger. All of these items are specifically known to boost the immune system. What if Terry Rodgers was seriously ill?" asked Spencer

"What about the baby food?" asked JJ

"A side effect of radiation treatment is sores inside the mouth. In fact, doctors advise you to eat the way an infant would eat." said Spencer as he thought about Piper being ready for baby food

"Chemotherapy?" asked Rossi

"The marijuana in the cabin could have been medicinal." said JJ

"I'll have Garcia check medical facilities outside the country. And, Reid, you and JJ go to the medical examiner and have them look specifically for a pre-existing condition with Rodgers." said Hotch

* * *

Spencer was at a medical examiner's office with JJ, and Dr. Rowe handed Spencer the file.

"It was Hodgkin's lymphoma." said Dr. Rowe

"Did you find any sedatives in his system?" asked JJ

"The question is, what sedatives didn't we find?" asked Dr. Rowe as Spencer started reading the file "Melatonin, Valerian, marijuana, hops, catnip, kava-kava." listed Dr. Rowe

"Bone meal and kelp." said Spencer

"In the victim's stomach, along with some materials that we're retesting. Take a look at the bottom." said Dr. Rowe

Spencer quickly read that area and spoke up.

"Sawdust residue caked in the nostrils?" asked Spencer

"Not just any sawdust. Pure pinewood pellet sawdust." said Dr. Rowe

"It's usually imported from China. Was it a 0.5% mixture?" asked Spencer

"I don't know. All I know is, it's not your everyday spread-on-the-floor sawdust." said Dr. Rowe

At that moment Spencer walked out of the room and called Rossi.

* * *

The next day Spencer and JJ were sitting at the conference table with Rossi.

"That was Hotch. The doctor told him the placenta was scraped completely out of the victim's uterus. Every bit of it." said Rossi as he looked at his two youngest teammates who were both worried about the mother and baby

Spencer sighed in relief that both the mother and baby are alright before speaking up.

"You know, the placenta does carry special significance in many cultures. In ancient Egypt, it had its own hieroglyph. And the Ibo tribe in Nigeria considered it to be the child's dead twin." said Spencer

"Well, that would be helpful, if our unsub was an ancient Egyptian or Ibo tribeswoman, but..." said JJ

Spencer stayed silent as his mind was racing while mumbling to himself what he learned about the placenta while Olivia was pregnant with Piper.

"I can hear the high-pitched whine from your I. Q. all the way over here. What is it?" asked Rossi

"It could be placentophagy." said Spencer

"What?" asked JJ

"Consuming it. In the wild, it's common for animals to eat their own afterbirth. It's super rich in nutrients." said Spencer

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, wait. So the unsub might have harvested this last victim... For food?" asked Rossi

Spencer nodded with a horrified look on his face.

* * *

"It's about food. Herbal sedatives, gruel, and now the placenta." said Rossi

"Ugh. And FYI, there's no record of anyone in La Grande buying that weird kind of sawdust the M. E. found. I'll widen the search." said Garcia through the phone

"We still need to figure out how this unsub was able to drug all these men." said JJ

"The southeast intersect doesn't get us much. Laundromat, video rental store." said Spencer after looking at the geographical profile

"The other intersect is the supermarket, but none of the employees recognized Paul Hicks. He never shopped there." said Rossi as he pointed at the geographical profile

"Garcia, what day of the week were each of the victims abducted?" asked Hotch

"Let me see. Gary Ellard on a Monday, Barry Deaver on a Saturday, Terry Rodgers and Paul Hicks both on a Thursday." said Garcia

"Is there anything special that happens in the vicinity of the market on Thursdays?" asked Hotch

"Uh...wow, you've done this before, haven't you? Yeah. There's a farmers market across the street from the supermarket every Thursday morning." said Garcia

"And where is it today?" asked Hotch

"Pendleton, about 40 miles north on Interstate 84." said Garcia

"I'm sending Blake and Morgan." said Hotch

* * *

Spencer grabbed the toxicology report from the printer as JJ came over to him.

"Hey, what do you got?" asked JJ

"Full toxicology report." answered Spencer

"And?" asked JJ

"Unlike any tox panel I've ever seen before." said Spencer as he showed JJ the report

"They found gypsum?" asked JJ

"Yeah. Gypsum's rich in sulphur, a vital plant nutrient." said Spencer

"She's feeding her captives soil additives?" asked JJ

"Seed meals, too. Look, cotton, flax." said Spencer

"It's animal feed. Why would you treat a human being like livestock? People raise cattle to eat." said JJ

"The unsub might be using the placenta as food, but nothing in the profile suggested cannibalism. I mean...unless the sawdust they found in Terry Rodgers' nose." said Spencer

"What about it?" asked JJ

"When livestock die, animal carcasses turn into a useful soil amendment through the aerobic biodegration process." said Spencer

"Like compost." said JJ

"Exactly. You need to add a substrate high in carbon to balance the nitrogen, and one of the most efficient substrates on earth is pure sawdust." said Spencer

"She's using her victims as human fertilizer." said JJ

* * *

Spencer got out of the SUV and ran to the barn with Rossi and JJ.

"What's that?" asked JJ

Rossi uncovered a wood chipper and he, JJ, and Reid noticed blood causing them to have horrified faces.

* * *

"I assume you're not trick-or-treating either?" asked Rossi as he watched Spencer get off the phone and start packing up for the day

"Ah, none of my treats seem to want to call me back, Rossi." said Morgan as he walked down the stairs that were near Spencer's desk

"Then I'll buy you dinner." said Rossi

"I'm in." said Morgan

At that moment JJ came over to Spencer, Morgan, Rossi, and Alex.

"Uh, excuse me, everybody. I have an announcement to make." said JJ causing Spencer, Rossi, Alex, and Morgan to look at her "As I'm sure some of you were aware, Henry was a little nervous about going trick-or-treating this year. But he's decided to go anyway."

"Great. What changed his mind?" asked Rossi

"The BAU did. I told him that he should go out on Halloween and try to figure out which monsters are real and which ones are not." said JJ

"So he wants to be a profiler." said Morgan

"Ah. He wants to be his favorite profiler." said JJ

At that moment Henry came into the bullpen with Garcia and Spencer grinned when he noticed Henry dressed like him

"Wow! Yeah! Oh, wow!" said Spencer with excitement as he got out of his chair and made his way to Henry who ran over to him "You look great, Henry." said Spencer as he thought to unclip his ID and clipped it on Henry's little bag "Put this on here."

"Oh, he's official." said Morgan

"Yeah." said Spencer as he placed his hand on Henry's shoulder

Garcia looked at Henry.

"Tell him." whispered Garcia

"E equals MC squared!" said Henry

Spencer's mouth went wide open as everyone chuckled.

"Oh, there it is!" said Morgan

Spencer gave Henry a high five.

"Ohh! The monsters don't stand a chance." said Alex

"Oh, I know. Shall we go get you some candy? Come on." said JJ

"Whoo-hoo." said Garcia

"Watch your back, pretty boy." said Morgan

Spencer grinned as he grabbed his bag and followed his teammates to the elevators.

"Where's Olivia and Piper?" asked JJ

"She is on her way up with Jack and Piper with my costume, and both Olivia and Piper will need to change into their costumes too." said Spencer

At that moment Spencer saw Olivia enter the bullpen with Piper and Jack, and Olivia was carrying two garment bags.

"Go put on your costume Spencer, while I go to the bathroom and get Piper and myself in our costumes." said Olivia as she passed Spencer his garment bag

"Where's daddy?" asked Jack who was dressed like his daddy again

At that moment Hotch approached them.

"Right here, bud." said Hotch

"We just have to get into our costumes and we will be ready." said Olivia before looking at Henry "Cool costume Henry."

"I am Uncle Spence and he gave me his badge." said Henry as he showed his Aunt Olivia what his Uncle Spencer gave him

"Cool." said Olivia

JJ looked at her goddaughter who was still in her stroller.

"I could picture Piper dressing up as a female version of her daddy for Halloween in a few years." said JJ

"But for now we get to enjoy picking her costumes before she is able to communicate with us better." said Olivia as she removed Piper from her stroller "Just give the three of us 15 minutes to get into our costumes."

"Need any help?" asked Alex

"You can help me Alex, since I know that Spencer isn't allowed in the ladies room." said Olivia

* * *

15 minutes later the Reid family and Alex stepped out into the bullpen where everyone was waiting for them so they could see Piper's first Halloween costume.

"Aww." cooed JJ and Garcia as they saw a smiling Piper in a bunny costume

"So a magician, his assistant, and a bunny to pull out of a hat." said Morgan

"I came up with the idea when Spencer was doing magic tricks for Piper." said Olivia

"I must say that your idea of costumes for Piper's first Halloween is creative." said Rossi

"I must take a picture of you three before I get one taken of Reid with his godson." said Garcia

"I will definitely need to send a copy to my parents since they asked for photos from Piper's first Halloween." said Spencer

"OK, and I can email the photos to you later." said Garcia

Spencer looked at JJ.

"Mind if I send the picture of Henry and me taken to my parents since they ask me about how Henry is doing?" asked Spencer

"Go ahead Spence." said JJ

A few minutes later Garcia had photos of the Reid family taken before taking one of Spencer and Henry.

"Well since the natives are getting restless, I am going to take Derek out to eat and if any of you guys want to join you're welcome to." said Rossi

"I think I am going to come trick or treating with you guys so I can catch up with Olivia." said Alex

"I miss seeing you at Georgetown Alex." smiled Olivia

"I miss seeing you everyday too, but I enjoy getting to see new pictures of Piper from Spencer." said Alex

"Can we go now?" asked Jack

"You guys ready?" asked Hotch as he looked at JJ, Garcia, Alex, Spencer, Olivia, Piper, Jack, and Henry

"Yes." chorused everyone as Piper babbled her response

"Did she just babble her response?" asked JJ

"Dad said that Piper is turning out just like me when it comes to intellectual milestones." said Spencer

* * *

A few hours later Spencer and Olivia looked at the pile of candy they got.

"I think it was nice of you to give some to Jack and Henry." said Olivia

"They were asking what we were going to do with Piper's candy since she is too young to have any." said Spencer

"I call all the chocolate." said Olivia

"Really?" asked Spencer

"Don't mess with a woman and her chocolate." said Olivia before smiling seductively at her husband "Now I just want to get that tuxedo off of you since you are still wearing it." said Olivia as she grabbed the baby monitor while pushing her husband to the stairs


	13. The Apprenticeship Part 1

_Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds_

 _A/N: Shout out to OhSnapItsMadison, snowdrop65, Mrs. JaganshiReidofHufflepuff, tannerose5, and Chermayne for reviewing chapter 12_

 _The Apprenticeship is going to be in two parts since I wanted to include a few Daddy Spencer scenes._

* * *

Four and a half month old Piper was sitting in her high chair wearing a bib that said I HAVE MY DADDY WRAPPED AROUND MY FINGER, and she saw her daddy come over to her with a small bowl and a spoon.

"Let's see if you can handle eating pureed carrots." said Spencer as he sat down on a stool that was by the kitchen island near Piper's high chair "Can you please open your mouth for me?" asked Spencer as he showed his daughter what she needed to do

Piper copied her daddy's movements, and before she knew it she felt something in her mouth and made a face before trying to chew her pureed carrots before swallowing.

"Good girl, Piper." praised Spencer

Piper gave her daddy a gummy smile, causing him to see that baby tooth that erupted.

"Want some more?" asked Spencer as he opened his mouth again while he spooned some more pureed carrots

Piper opened her mouth again, allowing her daddy to put more food in and when they were done Spencer looked at his daughter.

"You did a great job, Piper." said Spencer

Piper happily babbled at her daddy as he cleaned her up before removing her from her high chair to put a fresh onesie on her before placing her in her baby bouncer that was set up in the doorway. She started bouncing her little legs while smiling at him.

"You like your baby bouncer." grinned Spencer as he made sure that she was safe

Piper laughed as she continued to bounce while she watched her mommy pull something out of the oven and onto the dining room table that was near by.

"It's time to eat, Spencer." said Olivia

"Mommy and I are going to eat dinner, and when mommy and I are finished eating we can play." said Spencer

A short while later Spencer and Olivia were finished eating dinner, and Spencer was about to help with clean up when Olivia placed her hand on his arm.

"You go play with Piper while I clean up." said Olivia

"What if I wanted to clean up?" asked Spencer

"You cooked dinner and cleaned up yesterday while I was on Piper duty." said Olivia

"OK." sighed Spencer as he removed his daughter from her baby bouncer and carried her to the living room. He set her down on the floor and started playing peek a boo with her.

"Where is Piper?" asked Spencer as he covered his head with one of Piper's blankets

Piper stared at her daddy wide eyed before Spencer revealed himself.

"There she is." said Spencer causing Piper to laugh

After a few more minutes of playing peek a boo, Spencer looked at his daughter.

"You want to play with one of your stuffed animals?" asked Spencer

Piper happily babbled her response at her favorite man.

"I take that as a yes." said Spencer as he opened up a small toy bin a foot away from him and pulled out a teddy bear that Hotch bought for his goddaughter

"I got your teddy bear, so scoot your way over to your daddy." said Spencer as he made the teddy bear dance a bit

At that moment Piper struggled to get herself onto her hands and knees and Spencer realized what was going to happen and knew Olivia needed to watch.

"Olivia get in here!" shouted Spencer as he grabbed his phone so he could record Piper crawling for the first time

Olivia hurried into the living room with Einstein following her due to hearing his master's voice. Olivia gasped when she saw Piper rocking on her hands and knees and Spencer having his phone out to record the moment. She quickly grabbed the phone so Spencer could be in the video.

"Come to daddy." coaxed Spencer as he moved the teddy bear a bit while Olivia filmed the moment

At that moment Piper started to slowly crawl to her daddy, and Olivia who was filming the moment had happy tears streaming down her face as Piper reached him.

Spencer scooped his daughter into his arms and kissed her light brown curls.

"Daddy's so proud of you." beamed Spencer before looking at Olivia who nodded that she filmed it all and she saved the recording before sending it to her own phone before making her way to her two favorite people

"Mommy's proud of you too." beamed Olivia

Piper happily babbled at her mommy and daddy.

"At least our little girl is mobile now, so baby gates here we come." said Spencer

"Should we send the video to your dad so he can show your mom?" asked Olivia as she showed Spencer the video

"Yeah, but I am going to wait on showing my teammates until work tomorrow." said Spencer

"Is she early in this milestone?" asked Olivia as she sat on the floor by her husband

"From what I researched, most babies will determine when they are ready to crawl and walk." said Spencer as they watched Piper crawl with more confidence while babbling "But I am glad that I was home to witness this milestone." said Spencer as he watched Einstein follow her around

"I just wonder when she is going to say her first word?" asked Olivia

At that moment Piper started crawling to her mommy and daddy.

"Dada." said Piper as she reached her daddy

Spencer and Olivia looked at each other in shock and Olivia spoke up.

"Did she just say Dada?" asked Olivia

"I think so." said Spencer

"Dada." said Piper as she lifted her little arm and pointed at her daddy

"That's my girl." beamed Spencer as he scooped Piper into his arms and kissed her head

"I thought that I was your girl?" pouted Olivia

"You two are both my girls." said Spencer as he had Piper stand up on his lap

Olivia looked at Piper.

"Can you say mama?" asked Olivia

"Mama." said Piper

"Let's try and see if she can say Nana and Papa while we film the moment, and if she does we can send the video to your dad." said Olivia as she grabbed some photos and her phone "I am going to start filming now."

Spencer pointed out a picture of his father and looked at Piper.

"That's your Papa William who is my daddy. Can you say Papa?" asked Spencer as Piper watched his mouth move

"Papa." said Piper as she pointed at a picture of her grandfather

Then Spencer pointed at a picture of his mother.

"That's your Nana Diana who is my mommy. Can you say Nana?" asked Spencer

"Nana." said Piper as she pointed at a picture of her grandmother

As Olivia sent the video to her father in law, Piper yawned and Spencer got off the floor with her in his arms.

"I am going to give Piper her bath and put her to bed, so how about you relax for a half hour." said Spencer

"I was thinking that after you get her to bed, we can take a bubble bath together." said Olivia

Spencer grinned at his wife as he carried his little girl up the stairs and into the bathroom.

* * *

The next day Spencer walked into the bullpen with a huge grin on his face, and his teammates approached him at the coffee maker.

"What are you grinning about?" asked Morgan

"Piper said her first word yesterday evening." grinned Spencer

"A big word?" asked Morgan

"She said Dada, but shortly before she said her first word she crawled for the first time which I got a recording of." beamed Spencer

"Let us see." said Garcia

At that moment Spencer pulled out his phone and opened up the video and Hotch, Rossi, Alex, Morgan, JJ, and Garcia watched the video and grinned at Spencer when it was over.

"I bet you were glad to be home to watch Piper crawl for the first time and say her first word." said Hotch

"I was playing peek a boo with her, and with how she has been scooting on her belly lately I thought that I would see if I could get her to crawl by holding out one of her teddy bears. I knew that Olivia had to be in the room to watch Piper crawl for the first time, and I am glad that she took my phone from me so I could be in the video." said Spencer

Garcia looked at her three family members who are parents.

"I say that since it's Friday, the three of you find babysitters for Piper, Jack, and Henry and we all go out to one of our favorite bars to celebrate Piper saying her first word and crawling for the first time." said Garcia before looking at Spencer who was about to protest "And there's no backing out Boy Wonder, since Piper is old enough to be left with a sitter for a few hours." said Garcia as she fired a text message off to Olivia, telling her what's going on tonight "And Olivia said that there's nothing going on tonight."

Spencer's cellphone vibrated and he saw a text message from Olivia.

DIANE OFFERED TO BABYSIT PIPER SO WE CAN GO OUT WITH YOUR TEAMMATES FOR A FEW HOURS. ~ OR

Spencer looked at his teammates.

"One of Olivia's students is going to babysit Piper, but only for a few hours since you guys know that I deal with sensory overload from time to time when it comes to going out for drinks." said Spencer

"And that's OK if you and Olivia can stay for a few hours." said Garcia before turning her attention to JJ and Hotch "You two don't have to stay out late too if you don't want to, but please hang out for a few hours."

* * *

Spencer walked out of the bathroom wearing black jeans and a white dress shirt and found Olivia in the nursery changing Piper's diaper.

"How's this?" asked Spencer

Olivia looked at her husband and praised herself for picking out her husband's clothes.

"You look great." said Olivia as she started rolling up the sleeves of her husband's dress shirt "I need to get ready so how about you take Piper downstairs and wait for Diane to arrive." said Olivia

"OK." said Spencer as he scooped up Piper

* * *

Spencer opened the door to let Diane inside.

"Sorry I am late. My car didn't start so I had to call a cab." said Diane

"It's OK." said Spencer

"We are going to be back in a few hours, and Spencer is going to drive you home so you don't have to take another cab." said Olivia

"I can take a cab." said Diane

"I'd rather see that you get back to your dorm safely since I care about the safety of my students." said Olivia

"And there are some areas in Washington DC that can be dangerous at night so I rather make sure that you get back to your dorm safely." said Spencer as he thought about the case he worked on after Nathan Harris approached him

At that moment Spencer's phone rang and he shook his head when he saw that it was a text from Garcia.

WHERE ARE YOU AND OLIVIA? EVERYONE ELSE IS ALREADY HERE. ~ PG

"You two should go have fun, and Piper and I will be fine." said Diane as she bounced Piper in her arms a bit

Spencer looked at Piper.

"You be good for Diane." said Spencer as he kissed Piper's head before running a hand through her light brown curls

"Let's get going Spencer, before Penelope gets the cavalry." said Olivia as she handed Spencer his navy blue pea coat since she already had her jacket on

* * *

Spencer and Olivia entered the bar hand in hand and they found Spencer's teammates including Will.

"Sorry we're late, our sitter was running late." said Spencer as he sat down as Olivia took a seat next to him "What would you like to drink Olivia?"

"Dr. Pepper." said Olivia

"I will be back." said Spencer as he got up and kissed Olivia on the cheek

A few minutes later Spencer came to the table with his and Olivia's sodas and passed Olivia her drink.

"Thanks Spencer." said Olivia as she kissed her husband on the cheek

For the next 10 minutes everyone talked about anything but work, and after finishing his drink, Spencer's cellphone rang and he saw that it was his father.

He looked at Olivia.

"It's dad so I am going to head outside to take the call." said Spencer as he answered his phone "Just give me a minute dad." said Spencer as he headed towards the exit

Morgan looked at Olivia.

"Mind if I kidnap your husband for some guy time before work sometime next week?" asked Morgan

"What are you planning on doing?" asked Olivia

"I decided to sign him up for the bureau softball team, and when I am on my way to pick him up you need to blindfold him so he won't figure out where I am taking him." said Morgan

Olivia nodded as Spencer returned from outside.

"What did you two talk about?" asked Spencer as he sat down next to Olivia

"We are talking about weekend plans." said Morgan

"What did your dad want?" asked Olivia

"He wanted to know if we are making it out to Las Vegas for Thanksgiving." said Spencer

"Did you tell him that you are required to stay within the Washington DC and Quantico area this year?" asked Olivia

"Yeah I did, and he said that he and Aunt Ethel will fly out." said Spencer

"What about your mom?" asked Hotch as he thought about the nice conversations he had with Spencer's mom since Piper's birth

"With her flying out after Piper's birth and my birthday, Dr. Norman preferred that she stays in Vegas this year, but he is willing to arrange a Skype chat so she can be involved a bit from a distance if she is lucid that day." said Spencer

Olivia looked at her husband's teammates.

"Spencer and I are hoping that we can host Thanksgiving in a few weeks since this is Piper's first Thanksgiving." said Olivia

Everyone nodded in agreement that it would be nice to celebrate Piper's first Thanksgiving in the Reid family home.

"Mind if I help you cook dinner Olivia?" asked Rossi

"I was thinking something like a pot luck with everyone bringing a dish while Spencer and I contribute the turkey." said Olivia

"I like that idea." said Rossi with everyone nodding in agreement

After another hour of talking about plans for Thanksgiving dinner, Olivia looked at her husband.

"We should probably get home so you can get Diane back to her dorm." said Olivia

Spencer looked at his teammates.

"If I don't see you guys this weekend, I will see you on Monday." said Spencer as he put on his jacket before helping Olivia with hers

* * *

A few days later Spencer placed a baseball in the pitching machine and the ball headed towards Morgan who hit it, sending it flying across the field.

"OK. You see my hips? See my hips?" said Morgan as he demonstrated "You swing right through, nice and easy." said Morgan as he showed with the bat before walking towards Spencer with it "All right, come on. You give it a try." said Morgan as he passed Spencer the bat

"It was just a ride to the airport. This wasn't exactly what I had in mind when I said I owed you one." said Spencer as he thought back to when he asked Morgan to take him, Olivia, and Piper to the airport a few months prior

"Hey, you act like this is torture. You know, there are people who think this is fun." said Morgan

"Believe it or not, most of my childhood sports memories aren't altogether pleasant, and I prefer doing activities like hiking, kayaking, swimming, running." said Spencer

"Reid, it's just one game. We need a body. You might not even have to play." said Morgan

"Perfect. Can we go now?" asked Spencer as he tried to walk away

"Reid. Just humor me? Take the bat and get up there and give it a try." said Morgan

Spencer grudgingly took the bat and headed to the home plate.

"Get up there. You're gonna like this, kid. I promise." said Morgan as Spencer got into position with the bat

"See it and hit it. Just relax." said Morgan as Spencer nodded "Here we go." said Morgan as he placed a ball into the pitching machine

Spencer looked up a bit to see the ball coming towards him and grunted as he tried to hit the ball, but he missed hitting the ball.

"OK, OK. First try. Keep your eye on the ball." said Morgan

Spencer pushed his growing bangs out his face as he talked.

"Gravity plus drag coefficient plus magnus- I see what you're saying. If I can adjust the velocity of my swing." said Spencer as he looked at Morgan

"No, what I'm saying is get out of your head. Just feel it." said Morgan

"Feel it. Feel it." said Spencer

"Don't think. Just feel it." said Morgan

"Just feel. Don't think, just feel." repeated Spencer

Morgan laughed.

"Here it comes." said Morgan as he placed another ball in

Spencer grunted as he missed the ball again.

"Reid, that's not feeling it." said Morgan

"I'm feeling like an idiot." shouted Spencer

At that moment Morgan's phone rang.

"Well, today's your lucky day. We just got a case." said Morgan as he held up his phone

"Yes. Thank God." said Spencer before glaring at Morgan "This is why I wanted to be home spending extra time with Olivia and Piper before getting called in." grumbled Spencer

"Olivia gave me permission to kidnap you when I asked her if I could have some guy time with you." said Morgan

"But you saw how Piper was when you were leading a blind folded me away." grumbled Spencer

"You can call Olivia on the way to Quantico, and at least I am your ride to work today." laughed Morgan

"I hate you right now." grumbled Spencer as he got into the passenger seat where he pulled out his cellphone and called Olivia who answered on the first ring

"Having fun with Derek?" asked Olivia

"You know that I am not happy with you right now." grumbled Spencer

"Because I allowed Derek to kidnap you?" asked Olivia

"Yes, and Morgan and I are heading to Quantico right now, due to being called in for a case." grumbled Spencer

"At least you have everything you need with you." said Olivia

"I know." sighed Spencer as he realized that he couldn't be angry with his wife

"Call me when you know where you are going." said Olivia

"I promise." said Spencer

"Piper and I love you." said Olivia

"And I love the both of you." said Spencer before hanging up

* * *

Spencer stormed into the BAU, and Hotch looked at Reid and noticed the foul mood Spencer was in.

"Bad morning?" asked Hotch gently

"Ask Morgan." grumbled Spencer as he headed over to the coffee maker

A few minutes later Morgan came into the bullpen and Hotch looked at him.

"What did you do to him?" whispered Hotch

"I asked Olivia if I could kidnap him before he leaves for work since I secretly drafted him for the upcoming FBI/Secret Service softball game. And when we got called in, he got angry at me since he could have been spending time with Olivia and Piper rather than having to practice hitting a baseball." said Morgan

Spencer walked past and looked at Morgan.

"Right now I am thinking about my inner unsub right now, especially since I warned you that Cal-tech grads have a history of going nuclear." said Spencer before briskly walking to the conference room

Hotch looked at Morgan.

"You are in for it now and I am not helping you get out of this mess, since he has the ability to manipulate Jack." said Hotch

"May I share a hotel room with him so I can work on convincing him?" asked Morgan

"With how upset he is with you right now, I'd rather not have you two share a room, especially since you refused to share with him in the past." said Hotch

A few minutes later everyone was in the conference room and Garcia started briefing them.

"Last night in Miami, the body of Amanda Lopez was found in an alley. She had been brutally beaten and suffocated." said Garcia

"23 years old, originally from Tampa, ran away from her foster home when she was 16 years old." said Morgan

"Runaway, prostitute. She couldn't be more high risk." said Alex

"And there was evidence of sexual assault, a lot of it." said Garcia

"Occupational hazard. No way to tell if our UnSub is responsible for that." said Rossi

"Beating and suffocation. So, he's a sadist." said Alex

"A lot of violence. Were there any other victims?" asked Spencer

"Uh, actually, yes, but not the human variety. In the last month, 6 puppies have been suffocated and beaten, and thank God there are no photos, because I draw the line at dead dogs." said Garcia

Spencer sighed to himself since he wouldn't be able to handle seeing a photo of a dead dog because of Einstein.

"We sure it's the same guy?" asked Rossi

"Identical DNA samples were found at all the crime scenes, but no match in the CODIS database." said Hotch

"Even if there was a match, it might not give us an I. D." said JJ

"That sure is a lot of rage. I wonder why he's so angry." said Morgan

"It's about the power. Suffocation takes work. He likes it up close and personal." said Rossi

"This unsub's just graduated from animals to human victims. We need to stop him before he goes serial. Wheels up in 30." said Hotch as everyone started packing up

Spencer looked at his watch and realized that Olivia would be driving herself and Piper to Georgetown University at the moment, so he opted to send her a text message.

GOING TO MIAMI, FLORIDA. AT LEAST I WILL BE IN THE SAME TIMEZONE WHERE I WON'T HAVE A PROBLEM WITH GETTING TO HEAR PIPER BABBLING AND SAYING A FEW WORDS THROUGH THE PHONE OR THROUGH SKYPE. I WILL CALL YOU WHEN I LAND. ~ SR

* * *

"Amanda Lopez has no next of kin and no one reported her missing." said JJ

"She was an easy target. The UnSub probably hoped for that." said Alex

"The animals were all killed in a relatively small geographical radius, a mostly middle-class suburban area. But Amanda's body was found on the other side of town in Miami's skid row." said Spencer

"So he left his comfort zone to kill his first human." said Rossi

"A choice he probably made out of necessity." said Hotch

"It's hard to find easy targets in middle-class residential areas." said Morgan

"He may be young. Typically you see violence to animals in children and teens." said Spencer

"But the jump to humans is usually made in their mid-20s." said Rossi

"Mm-mm. Thomas Dillon started killing at 39." said Alex

"Joseph Duncan was 43?" asked JJ

"Usually." said Rossi

"Well, either way, this guy's moving fast. His animal kills were only days apart." said Morgan

"He enjoys it. And now that he's gotten a taste for humans, he's gonna need another fix soon." said Rossi

"Dave, you and Blake go to the M. E. Morgan and Reid to the crime scenes. JJ, you're with me." said Hotch before looking at Reid and Morgan "And hopefully you two can get your brotherly bickering over with before we land." said Hotch as he thought about earlier

"What's going on?" asked Alex

"Olivia gave Morgan permission to kidnap me this morning, and she used one of my ties from my go bag to blind fold me to keep me from finding out where Morgan was taking me." grumbled Spencer as Morgan laughed

"Why would you kidnap Spence?" asked JJ

"I just wanted some guy time with him, and it's hard to get him away from his two girls unless it's for work." said Morgan

"At least I have two beautiful girls living with me at home." smirked Spencer

"And they have you wrapped around their fingers." said Hotch

"But I think Piper has all of us wrapped around her fingers." said Rossi

* * *

Spencer was walking in a park with Morgan while looking at the crime scenes.

"The last dog was found in these bushes over here. The other dogs were found in a similar park not far away." said Morgan

"Except for the one found in an alley about a mile from here." said Spencer

Morgan noticed a young couple making out.

"Hey, Reid. You remember those days?" asked Morgan

"I do have moments like that with Olivia." said Spencer as he thought about his wife

"Not with Olivia, but where did you hang out as a teenager?" asked Morgan

"Library, chemistry lab, library." said Spencer

"No, no, no, no, no. I'm talking about normal, non-genius teenage type of stuff. Malls, coffee shops, parks." said Morgan

"We passed a mall and two coffee shops on the way here." said Spencer

"And a high school, too." said Morgan

"That would explain why the UnSub's so impulsive. He might still be an adolescent." said Spencer

At that moment Morgan pulled out his phone and called Garcia, and Spencer listened to Morgan's side of the conversation, and a few minutes later they were back in their loaned SUV.

As Morgan started driving Spencer looked at Morgan.

"I was forced to live with my academic adviser and his wife from when I was 12 until my 18th birthday due to the President of Cal-tech wanted to keep me safe at night." said Spencer

"And I think it was good that Cal-tech decided to keep you safe." said Morgan as he thought of when Spencer told him about the time he was tied to a goalpost naked and how underage drinking happened on college campuses at night

* * *

Spencer was taking a coffee break with Morgan, Rossi, JJ, and Alex and Morgan looked at JJ, Rossi, and Alex.

"I am excited about the Bureau softball game this weekend, and pretty boy here was helping me out." said Morgan

"That's why he kidnapped me this morning." grumbled Spencer

"I didn't even know the Bureau had a softball team." said Alex

"Since when do you play?" asked JJ

"Since Morgan drafted me." said Spencer as he glared at Morgan

"Really? Why?" asked Rossi

"Don't let the skinny geek thing fool you. I know the good doctor's deceptively athletic." said Morgan

"Oh, it's deceptive, all right." said Rossi

Spencer scowled at Morgan's and Rossi's comments.

"I am not that skinny like I used to be. I put on some much needed weight after getting shot in the knee." said Spencer as Hotch came into the room

"And your primary physician wrote in your medical file that he is pleased with the weight gain." said Hotch before getting serious "Blake, what did you find out?"

"None of the pet owners had much. Each of their dogs just disappeared from their yard." said Alex

"But he did get into their yards unnoticed, so that means he stalked them and knew their patterns." said JJ

"What about the list of juvenile offenders Garcia sent us?" asked Morgan

"Local P. D.'s checking out a few names that caught my eye." said Hotch

At that moment Detective Ogilvie came into the room.

"Excuse me. Agent Hotchner, another woman's body was just found." said Detective Ogilvie

"That was quick." said Rossi

At that moment Hotch decided to send Reid, Alex, and Morgan to the crime scene.

* * *

Spencer, Alex, and Morgan were heading to the latest crime scene, and Morgan was on the phone.

"OK. I got it." said Morgan as he got off the phone before speaking to Alex and Spencer "Her name is Vicky Thomas. 22-year-old prostitute. Originally out of Daytona Beach. And she's got a 2-year-old son." said Morgan as they looked at Vicky who was laying in the dumpster

"Victimology matches." said Spencer

"So does the plastic bag." said Alex

Spencer turned himself so he could face Morgan and Alex.

"Guys, this is a residential area, not frequented by prostitutes." said Spencer

"Well, he didn't kill her here, he just dumped her. He didn't beat her either. She took a blow to the head." said Morgan

"Bite marks. Pretty rare M. O. He didn't do that to the other victim." said Alex

"And look at her. She's filthy. He must have rolled her around in all this trash." said Morgan

"Probably a forensic countermeasure used to degrade the crime scene." said Spencer

"And the victim." said Alex

"OK, so he beats and suffocates his first victim and just dumps her. But this one he clocks over the head, bites her, but he covers his tracks." said Morgan

"That's a huge shift in M. O. You think he's evolving?" asked Spencer

"Well, that's a pretty rapid evolution. It might not even be the same guy." said Morgan

"Well, it can't be a copycat. The story literally just made the news." said Spencer

"Yeah, and what about the plastic bag? He used that on both victims." said Alex

"Yeah, but nothing about the second kill says young or impulsive. He thought this one through." said Morgan

At that moment Spencer came to a thought about the adolescent UnSub not being alone.

"Guys, what if we're dealing with a team?" asked Spencer

"If there are two of them, they're feeding off each other. This could turn into a spree real soon." said Morgan

* * *

Spencer pulled out his laptop and connected it to Skype. He grinned a few seconds later when he saw the faces of his two girls.

"Hey." said Spencer

At that moment Piper's eyes went wide when she saw her daddy.

"Dada!" exclaimed Piper

"How are you doing Piper?" asked Spencer

At that moment Piper started babbling while inserting words like Mama, Dada, and a few other simple one or two syllable words

"You telling me about your day?" asked Spencer

"Ya." said Piper

"I miss the both of you girls." sighed Spencer as Piper placed her little hand on the laptop screen, causing Spencer to mimic his daughter's actions

"And the both of us miss you too." said Olivia before looking at her baby girl "Don't we Piper?" asked Olivia as she stroked Piper's growing light brown curls

"Ya." said Piper

Spencer looked at the clock, realizing that it's nearing 8 PM which meant bedtime for Piper.

"Well I am going to be heading to the hotel in a few hours, but I knew that it's almost bedtime for Piper." said Spencer as he noticed that Piper was already in her pajamas and her eyes were drooping "Goodnight Piper. Daddy loves you."

"Call me later?" asked Olivia

"I will try." said Spencer

"And if you can't I understand." said Olivia

"Well, goodnight Livy." said Spencer

"Goodnight Spencer, and I love you." said Olivia

"Love you too, and you should probably get Piper to bed since she looks like she is ready to fall asleep." said Spencer


	14. The Apprenticeship Part 2

Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds

 _A/N: Shout out to Chermayne, Hippichic81, Tannerose5, OhSnapItsMadison, snowdrop65, and Mrs. JaganshiReidofHufflepuff for reviewing chapter 13._

* * *

As Spencer was walking into the station, his cellphone rang and he grinned when he saw it was Olivia, which made him answer his phone.

"Good morning Olivia." said Spencer

"Good morning to you too Spencer, and someone wanted to say hi to you before we leave to head to Georgetown." said Olivia as she placed the phone by Piper "Daddy's on the phone."

"Hi Dada." said Piper

Spencer's lips curled into a wider grin when he heard the voice of his little girl.

"Good morning Piper." said Spencer

"When I told her that we were going to call you to say good morning, she got really excited." said Olivia

"Well, it's a given that I am her favorite." said Spencer smugly

"Well hopefully when we are ready for another child it will be a boy who ends up being a mama's boy." teased Olivia

"I'm already a mama's boy myself." said Spencer

"Diana warned me that you are." said Olivia

Spencer shook his head before speaking up.

"Well, morning briefing is about to start, and you and Piper have to get to work." said Spencer

"Please stay safe." said Olivia

"I promise." said Spencer

"Piper and I love you." said Olivia as she looked at her smiling daughter

"I love the both of you too." said Spencer before hanging up

* * *

"Based on victim type and kill zone dynamics, we believe that we're looking for two white males, one significantly older than the other." said Hotch

"The younger unsub we believe is an adolescent. He probably lives in the area, so odds are he's a student at a local high school." said Rossi

"We think the older unsub is in his late 30s to early 40s. Now, he's sophisticated, so he probably has violent criminal experience." said Morgan

"So you should be looking at ex-cons, and we can't rule out people who've had law enforcement training." said JJ

"The older one had access to teenagers, but somehow he didn't stick out." said Alex

"Which means he most likely lives or works near an area where young people congregate." said Spencer

"Like a school, church, or a community center. Now, he's also charismatic, the type of guy that a teen would easily trust. Maybe a teacher or a coach." said Morgan

"Much like the D. C. snipers, John Allen Muhammad and Lee Boyd Malvo, this is a mentor/mentee relationship, where the older one is attempting to teach the younger one to become a better killer. This dynamic is rare, but the symbiotic nature of their mutual desires actually strengthens their affinity for one another." said Spencer

"There's a chance they're related. We should consider a father and son team, brothers, or possibly an Uncle and nephew." said Alex

"But even if there is no biological connection, this relationship has all the hallmarks of their kind of bond." said Rossi

"The younger one's probably looking for a father figure, trying to fill some emotional void." said Hotch

"They prey on prostitutes, so put the word on the street to any of the working girls you may know." said JJ

"And their pace is relentless. Given their combined appetites, and the player-coach dynamic, these two are especially dangerous. Thank you very much." said Hotch

"All right, let's hit it, people." said Sheriff Oglivie as everyone broke up

* * *

Morgan came over to Spencer who was reading a file.

"You are helping me interview a teenage boy named Jose who apparently hates cops, and I know that you can probably get him to open up." said Morgan

Spencer snorted.

"That's because I don't look like a typical cop or federal agent like you." said Spencer as he got up from where he was sitting and followed Morgan as he read the file that Morgan passed to him while they waited for Jose to arrive

* * *

Spencer was standing near a window reading Jose's file as Morgan took the lead.

"Jose, appreciate you coming in, man." said Morgan

"Like I had a choice. Why am I here?" asked Jose

Morgan sat on the edge of the table near Jose as he spoke.

"Look, it's all good, all right? We just want to ask you a few questions." said Morgan

"I didn't do anything. I don't know anything. We done?" asked Jose

"Kid, I get it. The neighborhood I grew up in, we hated Five-0, too." said Morgan

"Oh, so you can relate." said Jose sarcastically

"We're not those kind of cops, man." said Morgan as he noticed Spencer quietly watching them

"Oh, whatever." said Jose

At that moment Spencer decided to speak up since he looks less intimidating than Morgan.

"I think I can relate." said Spencer as he pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose with his left hand while his right hand still held the file

Jose looked at Spencer.

"I doubt that." said Jose

"Because when you look at me, you jump to a particular set of conclusions. It's human nature to make assumptions based on appearance." said Spencer as he got closer to the table "It's an outdated primal instinct born of our need to quickly assess our surroundings. Of course, in this modern era, those assumptions tend to be very wrong and... Often quite hurtful. It happens to me a lot, and I bet that happens to you all the time."

Jose looked at Spencer, and he realized that the younger agent was telling the truth.

"I swear I didn't do anything." said Jose

"We believe you." said Spencer as he sat across from Jose before continuing "We just want to know what you wouldn't tell the cops about the man that attacked you with the hammer."

"I don't remember much." said Jose

At that moment Spencer knew that he needed to conduct a cognitive interview on Jose.

"You want to try something interesting? This may sound crazy, but close your eyes and concentrate. I think you'd be surprised to see how much you can remember if you try." said Spencer softly

"All right." said Jose as he followed Spencer's instructions

"Do you remember what you were doing that day before the attack?" asked Spencer

"Just went to school." said Jose

"What was the weather like?" asked Spencer

Jose let out an exhale before speaking up.

"Hot." said Jose

"And what were you doing just before the attack?" asked Spencer

"Walking home from school. I cut through the park 'cause I had to take a leak. Then I heard this barking. Then I saw this kid and he was beating on this dog. It pissed me off. I like dogs. So I jumped the kid, started beating his ass, and the dog ran away. The next thing I know, I get hit in the back with something hard. It hurt like a bitch. I look up and see some dude with a hammer. He popped me one more time in the arm before I took off." said Jose

"Did you know the kid who was beating the dog?" asked Spencer

"Some white kid. Never seen him. He doesn't go to my school." said Jose

"What about the guy with the hammer?" asked Morgan

"He was white, too, but older." said Jose

"Could you describe him to a sketch artist?" asked Spencer

"The older dude- no, it happened too fast. But the kid... I think so." said Jose

Morgan looked at Spencer before he left the room to get a sketch artist.

"You helped us a lot, Jose." said Spencer as he got up

Jose looked at Spencer and thought about what the young agent said to get him to open up to them.

"What did you mean that it happened to you a lot?" asked Jose

"Some people don't believe it that I am an FBI agent even though I started my FBI career nearly a decade ago when I was only 21. The FBI had to waive the age requirement for me due to be being a genius while holding three PhDs and two BAs under my belt back then." said Spencer

"Wow." said Jose

"Luckily my wife is able to keep up with me since she has an above average IQ, and my four and a half month old daughter is already showing signs of being a genius since she's already saying a few words." said Spencer before continuing "I have an 11 month old chocolate lab puppy. Would you like to see a picture of him?" asked Spencer as he pulled out his phone

"Sure." said Jose

Spencer found his favorite photo of Einstein with Piper and passed his phone to Jose who noticed a puppy sitting by a light brown haired baby girl sitting in a baby bouncer who he assumed to be Spencer's daughter.

"This is Einstein with my four and a half month old daughter Piper. Einstein is named after my wife and my favorite mathematician Albert Einstein since she and I both have PhDs in mathematics." chuckled Spencer

"They sure get along." said Jose

"Yeah they do." Spencer

At that moment a sketch artist entered the room, Morgan looked at Jose.

"Thanks for your help man." said Morgan

"I'm glad that I could help you guys since I hate it when dogs get hurt." said Jose as a sketch artist sat across from him

As Spencer and Morgan left the room, Morgan pulled Spencer outside since he wanted to talk to him.

"You did a great job with Jose." said Morgan

"I know." said Spencer

Morgan thought about what Spencer mentioned to get Jose to open up, and he thought about how he treated Spencer when he joined the BAU.

"I'm sorry about how I treated you when I first met you." said Morgan

"It's OK man, but at least Hotch and Gideon accepted me right away, and both Hotch and Gideon told me they had faith in me since they knew that I was going to be one heck of a profiler someday." said Spencer

"They were right about you becoming one hell of a profiler." said Morgan

"I know." grinned Spencer before continuing "And I ended up getting an older brother that I always wished for."

"You are right about that little brother." said Morgan as he clapped Spencer on the shoulder

At that moment Hotch found them outside.

"I'm glad to see that you two are done bickering like you were yesterday and this morning over breakfast." said Hotch

* * *

Spencer was eating dinner with his teammates as they talked about what they found.

"So Jose rolls up on the younger unsub while he's doing his thing. But the older unsub just happens to be there to come to his rescue?" asked Morgan

"Or the older one was already there watching." said Alex

"That attack happened months ago, so they've known each other at least that long." said Rossi

"Why would a grown man in his 40s connect with a teenager?" asked JJ

"Easily explained if they're related." said Alex

"Or if their relationship is sexual." said Spencer

"Well, if they were related or having sex, there would probably be more of a connection and there might not be such a big disparity in their M. O.s." said JJ

"The dominant partner might not even allow the submissive to participate in the kill." said Rossi

"If he's mentoring him, maybe it's because he wants to give back or leave some kind of legacy." said Morgan

"Well, like in most cases, the dominant one probably initiated the contact." said Hotch

"You think he sought the younger one out." said JJ

"That's usually how it goes. It takes talent to see talent." said Rossi

"When and where they met is gonna be the key." said Hotch

"It's only a matter of time before their partnership dissolves. In any student/teacher dynamic there comes a day when the student no longer needs the teacher." said Spencer

Hotch inwardly smiled when he heard Spencer say that as he thought back to how much Spencer grew since meeting Spencer nearly a decade ago.

* * *

Morgan came into the room while talking to Garcia on the phone.

"All right, hang on a second, I'm gonna put you on speaker." said Morgan as he put his phone on speaker "Go ahead, baby girl. What you got?"

"Ask and you shall receive. I widened my search, got a hit. One Rudi Stein. Had an affinity for hammering and chewing on hookers in New York." said Garcia as Spencer raised his eyebrows "Convicted in '89. Had a massive stroke right there in the Sing Sing prison yard, died last July."

"That M. O. is too similar to what we've seen not to be related." said Rossi

"But the timeline doesn't fit. Stein got locked up over 20 years ago." said Alex

"What if the mentor got mentored himself?" asked Spencer

"So you think Stein mentored our older unsub?" asked Morgan

"Then the unsub learned his skills in prison." said Hotch

"There's a reason they call it Crime U." said Rossi

"If the guy who took the time to mentor him suddenly died, it could have triggered his need to pay it forward." said JJ

"Garcia, I need everything you've got on Rudi Stein- cellmates, relatives, known associates, and anything you can find." instructed Hotch

"Will do. Stay tuned. I'm out." said Garcia as she hung up

A few minutes later Garcia called them back.

"Go ahead, Garcia." said Hotch

"Sir, I've got something. From 2002 to 2006, Rudi Stein shared a work detail with a David Roy Turner. He's a Miami resident. Now, it must have been a match made in heaven, because they remained pen pals after Turner was released." said Garcia

"What was Turner in for?" asked Rossi

"He assaulted an underage male prostitute." said Garcia

"So, he has a preference for younger boys." said JJ

"It explains why he chose a teenage apprentice." said Alex

"You got an address?" asked Hotch

"Uh, yeah, I already sent them. I got a home and two work addresses. Turner works as a groundskeeper for the Miami-Dade parks and rec, and he's also a part-time bartender." said Garcia

Hotch looked at Morgan, Reid, and Blake.

"Morgan, Blake, and Reid, take the residence. The rest of us will take the work address." said Hotch

* * *

Spencer quickly got into the front passenger seat of the SUV and ran into the house with Morgan and Blake and started clearing rooms.

"It's clear!" shouted Morgan

"Clear." said Alex as she cleared a room

"Clear." shouted Spencer as he swept his flashlight and gun in the room he checked

* * *

Morgan entered the room that Spencer was in.

"There's nobody here." said Morgan

Spencer was searching a box that contained dog toys and supplies and thought about Einstein right away.

"Hey, Morgan, look at this stuff. Two different closets filled with this stuff, all unopened and unused." said Spencer

"No dog lives here. I don't see a bowl or a crate or a leash, nothing." said Morgan

Spencer looked at the price tag and noticed a store.

"Everything was purchased from Hal's pet shop." said Spencer as Alex approached Spencer and Morgan

"I found these under his bed. Haven't gone through every one, but they go back to 2006." said Alex as she showed Spencer and Morgan what she found

"Well, that's the year Turner was released from prison. Could be a habit he picked up inside." said Morgan

"Loves sports. He's into leisure and travel. And he is a big fan of murder." said Alex as she flipped through pages showing newspaper articles

"It's not random. There's individual sections for each case." said Spencer as he paged through an album

"It gets better." said Alex

Morgan noticed missing dog photos.

"This guy was tracking the animal murders." said Morgan

"Yep. Every one of them." said Alex

Spencer, who was looking at a photo of Turner, noticed that there was a photo that included a teenage boy who looked like the boy that Jose was describing.

"Hey, guys." said Spencer as he placed the album in front of Morgan and Alex

"That looks like the boy from the composite sketch." said Alex

"Whoever the kid is, Turner's obsessed with him." said as Morgan's cellphone rang "Hey, mama. Tell me something good."

"Well, I cleaned out this nutbag's laptop. The guy was a torture porn connoisseur. I mean, the dude makes Rick James seem Amish. I also looked at his emails and social networks. He's been in touch a lot with a Toby Whitewood, and by a lot, I mean a couple 3 times a day for the last year." said Garcia

"Well, what do you got on Whitewood?" asked Morgan

"He's a 15-year-old sophomore at McKinley High School. His parents divorced two years ago. He lives with his mom Claire. That's about it. He's squeaky clean." said Garcia

"Garcia, what about employment or volunteer activities?" asked Spencer

"Pause." said Garcia as she started typing "He works part-time at Hal's pet shop." said Garcia causing Spencer to look up

"You got a picture of the kid?" asked Alex

"Sent." said Garcia

Alex's phone beeped and she looked at the picture.

"Garcia, that's him. You got an address?" said Morgan

"Yep. Work address has been sent to you. Home address is actually closer to Hotch." said Garcia

"Thanks." said Morgan

"That explains how he got close to Toby. Somehow he figured out who was committing the animal murders, he stalked him at his job and eventually earned his trust." said Spencer

* * *

Spencer was in an SUV with Morgan and Blake heading to Toby's work address when Garcia called them.

"Yeah, go ahead, Garcia. What do you got?" asked Morgan

"Two things. One- David Roy Turner's father Nate, he was a boat mechanic. He owned a repair shop. He died 12 years ago, but according to public records, it's still in his name. Yes, I just sent you the address." said Garcia as Alex's phone beeped and she showed it to Morgan

"Yeah, I got it. Hang on, guys." said Morgan

Spencer and Alex braced themselves as Morgan turned around so they could head over to the boat repair shop.

"What was the second thing, Garcia?" asked Alex

"The second thing is, is that the manager at the pet store where Toby works at was just reported missing by her fiance, and her name is Hollie Riggio." said Garcia

"If Toby had anything to do with the girl's disappearance, then his victim preference is changing." said Spencer

"Or the prostitutes were just practice for the girl he really wanted." said Morgan

A few minutes later Hotch called them and he gave them information about Toby.

"3 years ago, Toby and his 17-year-old sister were carjacked. The assailant took them to a remote location where he repeatedly raped Toby's sister and then bludgeoned her to death." said Hotch

"But he let Toby live." said Morgan as he continued driving

"His mother just told us that Toby confessed to not screaming or running because he actually liked watching. He said it aroused him." said Rossi through the speaker

"It was a single-event imprint. That was his trigger." said Spencer

"Then we're dealing with two psychopaths." said Alex

"And if they're both at the boathouse location, then neither one of them's going to go quietly." said Hotch knowing that he has to rely on Spencer, Morgan, and Alex to save Hollie

* * *

Spencer entered the boathouse with Morgan and Alex with their weapons out and they found Turner.

"FBI! Drop it!" ordered Morgan

"David Roy Turner?" asked Alex

"Put the weapon down right now." ordered Morgan

"I've been to prison." said Turner as he tried to throw a hammer at Spencer, Morgan, and Alex

At that moment Morgan shot Turner as Hollie screamed.

"Aah!" screamed Hollie as Turner fell dead

* * *

Morgan grinned when he saw Spencer and Olivia walk by with Spencer pushing his daughter's stroller.

"Oh, get outta here. The Reid Family decided to come." said Morgan

"Hey." said Spencer as he gripped Olivia's hand

"You made it. I like that." said Morgan as he saw that Spencer, Olivia, and Piper come towards the bleachers

"I convinced Spencer that we should come so we can support the FBI." said Olivia

Morgan looked into the stroller and grinned when he saw Piper wearing an FBI onesie while Spencer and Olivia were wearing FBI t-shirts and jeans and Olivia wore an FBI baseball cap.

"And the Reid clan is wearing their FBI apparel." said Morgan

"I already owned FBI t-shirts which I usually sleep in or wear when you drag me to the gym to brush up on my self defense training." grumbled Spencer

At that moment Morgan decided to get serious since the game was starting soon.

"You bring a glove?" asked Morgan

"Glove? I don't own shorts, but Olivia forced me to wear jeans which I usually hate wearing except for when I have lazy days at home." said Spencer

"OK, don't even worry about it, kid. I got an extra one. Dyson's wife had her baby last night. So today is your day to play second base." said Morgan as he winked at Olivia who wrapped around her husband to keep him from escaping

"Wait, what?" asked Spencer as Olivia rubbed his lower back a bit to calm him down

"Uh-huh." said Morgan

"I can't play second base." protested Spencer

"Oh, yes, you can. You're gonna. No such thing as can't, kid." said Morgan as he smirked when he saw the rest of the BAU team, Jack, Henry, and William Reid who he called the day before

Olivia smirked when she her husband's teammates, her father in law, Jack, and Henry knowing that her husband can't get away with Jack and Henry being there.

"Go, team!" shouted JJ as she was holding Henry's hand

Spencer turned his head around and his jaw dropped when he haw his teammates, Jack, Henry, and his dad who was wearing a t-shirt that said MY SON IS AN FBI AGENT, AND I'M PROUD OF HIM.

"What are you guys doing here?" asked Spencer as he stared at his father

"Oh, we were not gonna miss this for the world." said JJ

"Great day for it." said Hotch

"Awesome." muttered Spencer as Olivia rubbed his shoulder a bit

"So the Secret Service, huh?" asked JJ

"Yeah, yeah. We haven't beat these chumps in 5 years." said Morgan

"They've got nothing to do but practice." said Rossi

"And party." said Garcia as she placed a baseball cap on Spencer's head

"Ah, there he is." said Morgan

Spencer turned his attention to Morgan and glared at him.

"You convinced my dad to fly out here for this game?! Man, I hate you!" grumbled Spencer as he glared at Morgan

William Reid looked at his son and wrapped an arm around him.

"Derek told me that he drafted you for this game, and flying out here meant that I get to spend time with my daughter in law and granddaughter while watching you play softball. And don't forget that I coached little league in Las Vegas so I had to come check out this event." said William as he pulled something out of his bag "This was the glove I used when I coached your little league team, and I want you to have it."

Spencer looked at the glove and he quickly flashed back to the last game he played in with Riley Jenkins.

"Where did your head just go?" asked Morgan

"I just flashed back to the last game I played in with Riley Jenkins even though I was only four back then." said Spencer before continuing "I guess I could play this game to honor of my late childhood friend and fellow little league player Riley Jenkins." said Spencer

"Now that's the spirit, Spencer." said William as he hugged his son

Olivia looked at her husband.

"I think you can do this Spencer. Think about the kids that are here to support you today." said Olivia as she straightened her husband's baseball cap

Spencer darted his eyes over to Jack and Henry who were giving him puppy dog eyes.

"I guess I will do it for Piper, Jack, and Henry." said Spencer as he kissed his daughter's forehead "I am going to be on the other side of this fence Piper, and when this game is over I will hold you. But have fun with your mommy, grandpa, aunt's, and uncles."

"Dada." said Piper before squealing when she saw her grandfather "Papa." said Piper

William reached for his granddaughter.

"You are reminding me so much of Spencer when he was a baby." said William as he bounced his granddaughter in his arms "You have gotten bigger since the last time I saw you."

"And I am still wanting to build that moat and draw bridge that I have been drawing in my sparse free time." said Spencer as he gave Olivia his famous puppy dog eye look

Olivia lightly slapped his chest while laughing.

"I'm not sure if our neighbors would appreciate a moat and draw bridge." laughed Olivia before getting serious "And you better not teach Piper how to manipulate people with her eyes since you already manipulate everyone with yours." said Olivia causing everyone to nod in agreement

Morgan looked at Spencer.

"The game is starting in a few minutes and I have to introduce you to the other FBI agents that are playing even though you met a few of them when consulting for other units." said Morgan as he led Spencer to the other FBI agents who were playing

"I see that you found someone." said an agent

Morgan wrapped an arm around his adoptive little brother and decided to use Spencer's full title despite it being a mouthful.

"This is SSA Dr. Spencer Reid, and a bunch of you know that he is known as the FBI's resident genius who I can rely on in the field since he ends up surprising my teammates over there from time to time." said Morgan as he introduced Spencer to agents who haven't met him yet

"I see that you brought your wife and little girl here." said an agent as he recognized Olivia from the Christmas party nearly a year ago

"My wife insisted on coming to this game since it's still nice outside." said Spencer

* * *

Spencer grabbed a bat, and as he headed to home base he heard his teammates, his dad, Olivia, Jack, and Henry cheering for him.

"You can do it! Come on, Spence! Just swing it!" shouted JJ

As the ball came towards him, he ended up missing it.

"Strike one!" shouted the umpire

Spencer swung again and missed it again.

"Strike two!" shouted the umpire

After another try he heard the umpire again.

"Strike 3!" shouted the umpire

As the game went on Spencer felt more dejected despite talking to his dad and Olivia through the fence while allowing Piper to play with his finger before it was his turn again.

"Daddy will be back soon Piper." said Spencer

"Dada." beamed Piper

At the reassuring smile that Olivia gave him, Spencer ran to home base for his turn.

"You can do it! You can do it! You can do this!" shouted Morgan as he looked at Spencer

The pitcher looked at the young agent.

"Hey, this guy can't hit. Bring it in." shouted the pitcher and a few secret service team members

At that moment Morgan had enough of the bad mouthing that his surrogate little brother was given by the secret service team while the FBI softball team didn't give him grief due to knowing about his reputation in the FBI.

"Time-out. Time-out. Time-out." shouted Morgan as he ran over to Spencer and rested his hands on Spencer's shoulders "Here you go. Come on. Listen to me, kid. Look at me. It is the bottom of the ninth. There's two outs. And we are losing by one run. OK? You are the guy, Reid."

"No, I'm not." whispered Spencer

"Yes. All you have to do is get it over their heads, and I will score, and then you run like hell." said Morgan

"I've been doing the calculations. Force equals-" said Spencer

"Reid, stop. Stop. Get out of your head. All the physics in the world will not work unless you just let it flow." said Morgan

"I don't know if I can." said Spencer

"You remember all those unpleasant childhood sports memories? OK, right now, you can erase all of it for good. Kid, stop thinking. Just feel it." said Morgan

"OK." smiled Spencer as he saw his dad who was standing by the fence give him a thumbs up

"You got this. You got it? You got this. Let's go." said Morgan as he patted Spencer's shoulder before heading back to the base he was at

Everyone started clapping again and Spencer heard Olivia's voice.

"You can do it Spencer! Piper and I love you even if you win or lose!" shouted Olivia

Spencer turned his head towards his wife who had her hands on the fence before focusing on the pitcher.

"Drive 'em in, baby!"

"He's the man. He's the man." shouted Rossi

The ball was thrown at Spencer, and Spencer swung despite missing it.

"Strike one!" shouted the umpire

Spencer got into position again.

"Attaboy. Attaboy." said Rossi

"Whoo! You gotta believe it." said Morgan

"You can drive 'em in. Come on, you can drive 'em in, baby."

Spencer swung the bat again and missed.

"Strike two!" shouted the umpire

"This guy's got nothing." shouted a secret service member

At that moment Olivia had enough of that secret service agent who has been giving her husband grief.

"That's my husband your talking about!" shouted Olivia as she glared at the secret service member

The secret service member looked over to where he heard a female voice, and he noticed a young brunette woman wearing an FBI t-shirt and an FBI baseball cap standing by the fence.

"That kid is married to a woman like that?" asked a secret service member in disbelief

At that moment Spencer's jaw locked in determination when that secret service member talked about his wife like that and as the ball came towards him he hit it hard, causing everyone to cheer before he heard his teammates telling him to run.

"Run!" shouted Alex

At that moment Spencer dropped the bat and started sprinting around the bases, glad that he goes running when he has time.

"Go! Go! Go! Go! Go!" shouted Spencer's teammates

As Spencer reached home base he slid.

"Safe!" shouted the umpire

"Yes! Yes!" shouted Morgan as he helped Spencer get off the ground and hugged him as other softball team members gathered around him cheering and patting him on the back before Morgan lifted him off the ground

As Spencer was let down, he ran over to the fence and started climbing it a bit before getting down to jump onto Morgan's back as the Replicator took pictures of everyone.

Spencer got off of Morgan's back, and Morgan looked at him.

"Dang kid. You are much heavier than I remember." laughed Morgan as he rubbed his own back as Olivia hugged her husband

As Spencer returned his wife's embrace he lifted her off the ground a bit, causing Olivia to wrap her legs around his waist before kissing Olivia on the lips despite the audience they had before setting her down for the others can congratulate him.

"You were awesome Spencer, and I think Piper would like to come to events like this when she is older." said Olivia as she took Piper from her father in law

"I'm glad that I flew out here for this game." said William as he hugged his son

"I really need to hold Piper." said Spencer as he released himself from his father

Olivia passed Piper to Spencer, and Piper looked at her daddy.

"Dada." said Piper as she rested her little hand on his cheek before yawning

Olivia looked at her husband after noticing that Piper was asleep in her daddy's arms.

"We better get Piper home since she is asleep, and with her missing nap time for this game she is probably going to be asleep for a few hours." said Olivia as she licked her lips again when she noticed the sweat was causing her husband's t-shirt to cling to him, showing his defined muscles from all the working out he did

Garcia looked at Olivia and noticed Olivia eying Spencer and everything clicked in her mind since Olivia is reminding her how she is herself when Morgan is all sweaty.

"Down girl. There are children here." said Garcia

At that moment Olivia's and Spencer's faces heated up, causing laughter.


	15. The Fallen

Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds

 _A/N: Shout out to southernbeauty13 for being the 75th reviewer, and also a shout out to OhSnapItsMadison, Hippichic81, Chermayne, and Tannerose5 for reviewing chapter 14._

 _Sorry about this chapter being on the shorter side, but it will be worth it as you faithful readers read on._

* * *

Spencer looked at Piper who was crawling around the living room.

"How about I bundle you up and take you jogging with me." said Spencer

Piper happily babbled at the thought of going running with her daddy since she enjoys it when she tags along.

Olivia looked at her husband who was wearing khaki pants and a polo shirt.

"I will get Piper ready while you change into your work out clothes." said Olivia as she picked up Piper

"Yes ma'am." said Spencer as he headed upstairs while Olivia started getting Piper ready

15 minutes later Spencer was running while pushing Piper's jogging stroller. Piper squealed as the late fall breeze hit her sun block ridden face, and after running for two miles Spencer turned the stroller around and started running home, knowing that Piper fell asleep.

* * *

When Spencer entered the house with a sleeping Piper in his arms, Olivia looked at her husband.

"Have a good run?" asked Olivia as she licked her lips at the sight of her sweaty husband

"I ran a total of four miles, and halfway through the run Piper fell asleep." said Spencer as he started to carry Piper upstairs with Olivia following them

A few minutes later Olivia shut the door of Piper's nursery and hugged her sweaty husband tightly to her while playing with the waist band of his sweat pants.

"I love it when you are sweaty after a workout." said Olivia

Spencer groaned as he felt his body reacting to Olivia's actions.

"You already told me that after the softball game the other day." said Spencer as his sweat pants started to tighten even more at the memory of Olivia pouncing on him after putting Piper in her crib

Olivia smirked when she noticed how turned on her husband was getting.

"How about you take a cold shower to cool yourself down while I start making dinner." said Olivia as she led her husband to the master bathroom and turned on the water while not noticing the mischief look on her husband's face as he started to strip down

"OK." said Spencer as he lifted up his wife

"What are you doing?!" shrieked Olivia as she realized she couldn't escape from her naked husband's strong grasp

"I am bringing you into the shower with me so we can cool down together since it's going to be a few hours before Piper wakes up." smirked Spencer as he stepped into the shower with a fully clothed Olivia in his arms while making sure that she was right under the water as he hugged her tightly to him

"You are so going to get it tonight!" shrieked Olivia as she felt her long hair and clothing start to plaster to her skin while looking into her husband's eyes that were twinkling with laughter as he laughed, making her realize that she couldn't be mad at him

"You pulled me into the shower fully clothed before, but at least you don't have shoes on right now." said Spencer

"At least your cellphone wasn't in your pocket when I did what you just did to me." said Olivia before kissing her husband deeply on the lips

A few minutes later Spencer broke out of their deep kiss and turned the hot water on to make the water temperature warmer.

"Let's get you out of these clothes and warmed up." said Spencer as he started to undress his wife, knowing what's going to happen next

* * *

An hour later Spencer and Olivia exited the bath room to hear Piper crying through the baby monitor, causing both of them to head into her nursery where they smelled a stinky diaper.

"Since you handle stinky diapers better than me, I want you to change her." said Olivia

Spencer laughed as he scooped Piper from her crib, carried her to her changing table and started changing her diaper.

Piper happily babbled at her parents as her daddy changed her diaper.

"You telling me about the time you spent with your daddy?" asked Olivia as she watched her husband put Piper in a fresh onesie

"Ya." said Piper before looking at her daddy "Dada."

Spencer grinned at his little girl.

Piper looked at her mommy.

"Mama." said Piper

Olivia smiled at her daughter.

At that moment Piper's tummy growled causing Spencer, Olivia, and Piper to laugh.

"Let's get you something to eat so you can continue to grow big and strong." said Spencer as he placed a fresh onesie on Piper

"Food." said Piper

"I will make dinner while you feed Piper her pureed peas, and you can bathe her after dinner." said Olivia as she thought about the plans she had for her husband to get back at him for pulling her into the shower fully clothed

"Deal." said Spencer

* * *

11 hours later Spencer woke to Olivia rushing out of bed and running into the bathroom to throw up, causing him to fumble for his glasses so he could join her in the bathroom and hold her hair. A few minutes later he looked at Olivia after she put her toothbrush back into its holder.

"Are you OK?" asked Spencer

At that moment Olivia knew that she needed to tell her husband the news before anyone else finds out.

"I'm eight weeks pregnant, Spencer." said Olivia

Spencer quickly did the math to figure out the day that they most likely conceived their second child before his lips turned into a huge grin and he kissed his wife.

"I remember that night." grinned Spencer before becoming serious "When did you find out?" asked Spencer as he rested his hands on Olivia's belly

"I went to my six month physical yesterday, and when I was asked when I had my last period I realized that I haven't had it in two months, and my doctor decided to do a pregnancy test which ended up positive." said Olivia

"Seems like your birth control pills aren't very effective." laughed Spencer as he rested his hands on Olivia's belly that was starting to show a bit

"I think so too, but I am happy that our family is growing." said Olivia

"I am too, but maybe after this little one we should wait a few years so we don't have to deal with two kids wearing diapers at the same time." said Spencer

"How about when Piper is two we revisit the topic of trying for our third child." said Olivia

Spencer nodded in agreement, knowing that they are going to have their hands full before speaking up.

"With you being eight weeks pregnant, when do you think we should tell everyone else?" asked Spencer

"How about during Thanksgiving dinner next week." said Olivia

"I like that idea." said Spencer

"We have over a week to talk about how we are going to reveal that we are expecting again, but maybe the nausea I am dealing with can help give away the pregnancy." said Olivia

"If the baby is born before June 17th next year we will have Irish twins on our hands." said Spencer

"What are you hoping for this time?" asked Olivia

"It doesn't matter, as long as the baby is healthy." said Spencer

"I am hoping that we have a son who looks just like you since Piper is showing a perfect combination of both of us." said Olivia

"We have to wait until the second trimester starts before finding out, but I think a son is a great idea so I am not outnumbered anymore by girls here." said Spencer

Olivia laughed before speaking up.

"I see Dr. Carter today at 5 PM, but since we are going to keep the pregnancy a secret for a week I'd rather go alone." said Olivia

At that moment Spencer and Olivia heard Piper crying through the baby monitor.

"Seems like it's time to feed her. So how about you deal with Piper while I start making breakfast." said Spencer

"Deal." said Olivia

"I am going to get dressed first though." said Spencer

"Good idea, but I am enjoying the view of your bare chest right now." said Olivia as she left the bathroom to head into Piper's nursery

* * *

Spencer was just putting breakfast on the table when Olivia came downstairs with Piper, who beamed when she saw her daddy.

"Dada!" exclaimed Piper as her mommy brought her over to her daddy for her morning kiss

"Good morning Piper." said Spencer as he kissed his daughter's growing light brown curls

Olivia placed Piper in her baby bouncer and looked at Spencer.

"Let's eat breakfast because I'm hungry." said Olivia as she noticed that Spencer remembered what she was able to handle during her morning sickness

At that moment Spencer and Olivia started eating their breakfast, and after 10 minutes of eating Olivia looked at her husband.

"I just can't wait to see Derek's reaction to us expecting again." said Olivia

"I could picture him commenting about us needing to repopulate the Earth with baby geniuses." said Spencer

Olivia burst out laughing while Piper giggled.

* * *

"Someone is heating things up in Santa Monica and they are not sharing the sunblock. 3 charred bodies have shown up at the pier in the last week. M. E. cannot identify the victims. She can tell us that two are male and the latest victim is a female." said Garcia

"Well, if he's crossing gender lines, we can probably rule out sexual assault. Was the coroner able to determine the exact cause of death?" asked Morgan

"No. The results were inconclusive, but my money is on the obvious." said Garcia

"It might not be that simple. If the unsub's connected to the victims, burning the bodies might be an attempt to mask their identity." said JJ

"Or he's sophisticated enough to know the fire will eliminate the evidence of his murder rituals." said Morgan

"This takes time. If he's burning his victims while they're alive, he's not just sadistic. He's patient." said Alex

Spencer nodded at Alex.

"And organized. He'd need access to materials necessary for burning a human body and the space to do so undetected." said Spencer

"Has anyone been reported missing?" asked Rossi

"Nobody that's a match. I'm running dental records in there right now, though." said Garcia

"Then the problem is we're not even sure the victims are local. That pier is a popular photo op. He could be hunting tourists." said Rossi

"Or warning them away. He's dropping the bodies where they can be found quickly." said Alex

"He's also accelerating his attacks. He's gone from a 4-day cooling off period to only two days between kills." said Spencer

"It's all part of his plan. We need to stop him before he makes it one." said Hotch

A few minutes later Spencer was sitting at his desk where he called Olivia, who answered on the first ring.

"A case?" asked Olivia

"Going to Santa Monica, California." said Spencer

"So you will be three hours behind us." said Olivia

"Yeah." said Spencer

"Well I am about to pick up Piper and go to my doctor appointment, and I will email you the footage of the ultrasound later this evening. I will take care of Piper, myself, and our unborn child." said Olivia

"And I will be waiting for that email while I stay safe in the field." said Spencer

"I love you." said Olivia

"Love you too." said Spencer before hanging up

Alex looked at Spencer.

"What email are you waiting for?" asked Alex as she gained JJ's attention

"I am suppose to be getting an email from Georgetown about my dissertation that I finished." said Spencer

"Finally finished it?" asked Alex

Spencer grinned at Alex.

"I finally finished it, and that means I will be walking across the stage at Georgetown next month." said Spencer

"That's great." said JJ

Alex looked at Spencer and thought about her suspicions of Olivia being pregnant again while at the softball game a few days ago based on how Olivia was acting while pregnant with Piper, but she filed her suspicions away in her mind, knowing that they have a plane to catch.

* * *

"This guy's putting bodies on display and staging their discovery to make an impact." said Morgan

"Oh, he wants to be noticed, either for his handiwork or because he lacks recognition in his everyday life." said JJ

"He shows no signs of remorse for his crimes. His message is more important than human life." said Alex

"He might not even see these people as being human." said Spencer

"Is it just me or does this feel territorial?" asked Rossi

"I think you're right. For some reason, the pier is very important to him." said Hotch

At that moment Garcia's face appeared on the laptop and TV screens that were on the jet.

"Forget flossing those pearlies, my B. A.-Utes, 'cause thanks to two fillings, an underage drinking charge, and a very effective M. A. D. D. Organization, I have been able to identify the latest victim of this person barbecuer as Lindsay Leeman, from Edina, Minnesota. She was only 19 years of age. Her file's on your tablets." said Garcia

JJ, who was looking at her tablet spoke up.

"It says here she's only been in Santa Monica a couple months." said JJ

"Yeah, it doesn't look like she had a job, 'cause according to bank records, her mom's been sending her $250 a month." said Garcia

"OK, so how does she afford an Ocean Avenue address on such little income? Was she making money under the table?" asked JJ

"Not that she was depositing, anyway." said Garcia

"Cell phone records show her texting up until 7:00 last night." said Alex

"This unsub's incredibly efficient. He was able to abduct, murder, and dispose of Lindsay's body in under 12 hours." said Hotch

"Wait, there's something else. All her communications are to Minnesota numbers. There's not one from California." said Alex

Spencer, who thought about how he had lived in Nevada, California, and finally Washington DC where he found home.

"So she lived somewhere two months and didn't make any friends? I thought that only happened to me." said Spencer quietly, causing JJ to shake her head

"Garcia, any luck identifying the other victims?" asked Morgan

"No. Apparently fire's my Kryptonite. But I'll keep searching." said Garcia

* * *

Dr. Carroll looked at Spencer.

"So we meet again Dr. Reid." said Dr. Carroll

"Yeah." said Spencer before looking at Alex "This is Dr. Alex Blake."

"Where's Agent Prentiss?" asked Dr. Carroll

"Heading an office in Interpol now." answered Spencer

Alex looked at Spencer.

"You two met before?" asked Alex

"Last year in October, an unsub was drowning his victims and resuscitating them in the Los Angeles National Forest due to experiencing death before." said Spencer

Alex nodded since Olivia told her about the case after telling her that Spencer had a nightmare after coming home from that case.

"Let's get to business." said Dr. Carroll as she opened up a drawer "There isn't much left."

"Were you able to determine if the victims died of immolation?" asked Spencer

"An examination of the lungs indicates Lindsay didn't breathe in smoke." said Dr. Carroll as she walked over to the table with Spencer following her

"So she was dead before being set on fire." said Spencer

"Same as the others." said Dr. Carroll as she looked at her clipboard

"So how is he killing them?" asked Alex

"I was able to isolate penetrating lacerations to the abdomen." said Dr. Carroll

"They were stabbed." said Alex

"They most likely died of exsanguination as a result." said Dr. Carroll

Alex looked at Spencer.

"So the burning is nothing more than a forensic countermeasure." said Alex

"An effective one. Not only does it destroy trace evidence, but it makes it difficult to identify the bodies and determine a common victimology." said Spencer

"Hopefully Lindsay's mother can fill in the gaps." said Alex

* * *

Spencer was standing outside with Hotch and Alex giving the profile to local law enforcement while wearing his prescription sunglasses to ward off the glare from the sun.

"We believe that this unknown subject, or unsub, is trying to make a social or a political statement by targeting the homeless community." said Hotch

"He's evolved from obliterating his victims with fire to wanting them to be identified while still depersonalizing them." said Spencer

"This unsub has a method of transportation and the facilities to bleach and burn his victims." said Spencer

"He dumps the bodies prior to the morning commute, so he could have a day job." said Alex

"He does not draw attention to himself, and he's meticulous in his planning." said Spencer

"The fact that he's now dumping the bodies away from the pier means he's probably aware of our investigation and that this is far from over." said Hotch

"We need to increase the police presence on the street. This guy is smart. We have to be smarter." said Alex

Spencer got into an SUV with Hotch and Alex and his phone vibrated as he buckled himself in. He noticed a text from Olivia.

RIGHT NOW I AM CURSING YOU FOR GETTING ME PREGNANT AGAIN. YOU ARE SLEEPING ON THE COUCH WHEN YOU GET HOME. ~ OR

Spencer gulped at his wife's threat causing Hotch and Alex to look at him.

"What's going on with you, Spencer?" asked Alex

"You have been acting off since coming into work yesterday." said Hotch

Spencer sighed before speaking up.

"I am going to ask you two to keep a secret since Olivia and I weren't going to share the news until Thanksgiving next week." said Spencer

"I'm getting another godchild?" asked Hotch

Spencer shook his head, knowing that both Hotch and Alex know him well since they are like parental figures to him.

"Olivia is eight weeks pregnant, and she sent me a text cursing me for getting her pregnant again." said Spencer

Alex laughed since she remembered how Olivia's hormones were when she got to see her at Georgetown everyday.

"I knew it." said Alex

Spencer looked at Alex.

"I had my suspicions during the softball game a few days ago, and I didn't want to say anything out loud if you and Olivia didn't know. But I will keep your secret." said Alex

"I will keep yours and Olivia's secret too." said Hotch as he smiled at Spencer

"Thanks." said Spencer

"It was funny watching Olivia curse you for getting her pregnant when she was expecting Piper." said Alex

"When is the baby due?" asked Hotch

"The baby is due on Piper's first birthday, but there's a chance that he or she can come early like Piper did causing Piper and her sibling to be Irish twins." said Spencer

"You and Olivia are going to have your hands full dealing with two babies in diapers." said Hotch

"I know, but Olivia and I are both happy about expecting another child." said Spencer

* * *

Spencer entered the room where Dr. Carroll was doing her autopsy on Jeremy with Alex and Dr. Carroll as he talked.

"Could the fire have destroyed evidence of bleach on the previous victims?" asked Spencer

"Chemical residue would have turned up in the autopsies." said Dr. Carroll

"So we were right. He changed M. O. to perfect his message." said Alex

"He changed something else, too. I found bleach in Jeremy's lungs." said Dr. Carroll

Spencer looked at Alex.

"The unsub drowned him." said Spencer

* * *

Spencer rushed into the garage with milk and poured it into Sarah's mouth.

"This will coat your throat and help dilute the bleach." said Spencer and he helped Sarah drink milk as paramedics came into the garage and looked at Spencer after Hotch left the room

After Sarah was taken to the hospital, Spencer started going through the house with Alex and Hotch.

"No dust. Nothing out of sorts." said Alex

"His clothes are organized by color." said Spencer as he lifted a box off a shelf and opened it

"Yeah, this speaks to clear signs of OCD behavior." said Alex

Spencer placed the box back in the closet as he talked.

"Sarah had some sort of gel in her hair. I want to try to find the source." said Spencer as he opened up a container and looked into it

"What is it?" asked Alex

"Quell, a medical-grade disinfectant." said Spencer

"His OCD may manifest in extreme germaphobia." said Hotch

"That must be why he shaved Jeremy's head." said Alex

"There wasn't any sign of disinfectant until today, though." said Spencer

"But it might have been eliminated by the bleach and the fire." said Hotch

"Guys, fire, bleach, quell- these are all forms of sterilization." said Spencer

"So you think the burning might be incidental?" asked Hotch

"If he's socioeconomically cleansing the streets, he could be treating the homeless population like an infection. To him they're a virus." said Spencer

"And he's the cure." said Alex

* * *

The next day Spencer and Olivia were sitting in front of Spencer's laptop and a few minutes later they saw the faces of Diana, William, and Ethel.

"Hey." said Spencer

"How's it going in Washington DC?" asked William

"Its has been getting a bit colder since winter is approaching, but we have some news for you guys." said Spencer

Diana took in the appearance of her daughter in law, and everything clicked.

"Am I getting another grandchild?" asked Diana

"How did you figure it out mom?" asked Spencer

"A mother knows Spencer." said Diana before speaking again "How far along are you Olivia?"

"I'm eight weeks." said Olivia

"Congratulations." said William and Ethel at the same time

"You better send me a photo a week again." said Diana

"We promise mom." said Spencer

"Where's Piper?" asked Diana

"She's taking a nap right now, and we thought that this would be a good time to Skype." said Spencer

"How's my granddaughter doing?" asked Diana

At that moment Spencer and Olivia started telling Diana, William, and Ethel about Piper's antics and the baby and after 15 minutes of talking, they signed off Skype and Spencer looked at Olivia.

"Can you believe it that Piper is already five months old?" asked Spencer

"Time does go fast." sighed Olivia

"But we have 17 years and three months before Piper is officially an adult, and I am not looking forward to when she has her first boyfriend." said Spencer

"Speaking of girls, we still have to talk about names if we end up having a daughter again." said Olivia as she was paging through a baby name book

"I have a feeling that it will be a boy this time." said Spencer

"I think so too Spencer." said Olivia

At that moment Piper started crying through the baby monitor to alert her parents that she's awake.

"I will go get her." said Spencer as he got off the couch


	16. The Wheels On the Bus and Thanksgiving

_Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds_

 _A/N: Shout out to tannerose5, OhSnapItsMadison, Hippichic81, Chermayne, and Snowdrop65 for reviewing chapter 15._

 _I decided to combine the chapters that deal with The Wheels On The Bus and Piper's first Thanksgiving, and everyone else will find out about the baby in this chapter._

* * *

Spencer looked at Olivia as he watched her get Piper ready for their appointment with the photographer who was going to take the photos for their personalized Christmas cards and baby announcement.

"I have a suggestion for a girl's name since we have a boy's name in mind." said Spencer

"What is it?" asked Olivia

"Melody Faith Reid." said Spencer

"I guess we found a name because I like the name Melody Faith Reid." said Olivia

"We still have to figure out a middle name for Albert if we have a boy." said Spencer

"You still want to name our son Albert if we have a boy? Because I am willing to do a different name." said Olivia

"I still want to name our possible son Albert since I love the meaning of the name." said Spencer

Olivia looked at her husband curiously.

"What's the meaning?" asked Olivia

Spencer used his eidetic memory and paged through one of the baby name books that he read.

"Noble and bright." said Spencer as he walked downstairs with Olivia and Piper

"With how your eyes move back and forth when recalling information, you scare me sometimes." said Olivia

Spencer laughed at his wife's comment.

"I do like the meaning of the name Albert, but we have time to figure out a middle name." said Olivia

Spencer looked at the clock and spoke up.

"We have to go to the photographer so our photos can be taken for our personalized Christmas cards and baby announcement." said Spencer

"I'm glad that we are doing the same type of baby announcement we did last year for this year's Christmas cards." said Olivia

"Me too." said Spencer

* * *

The photographer looked at Spencer and Olivia who were both wearing Santa hats standing behind Piper who was sitting on the platform wearing a red and green velvet dress.

"Smile." instructed the photographer

Spencer, Olivia, and Piper smiled for the picture and a minute later the photographer looked at the Reid family.

"Is there any other photographs you want me to take before our session ends?" asked the photographer

Spencer nodded as he grabbed his messenger bag and found the four signs which included the ultrasound photo that was printed off a few days prior.

"We want a photo that includes a baby announcement to let family and friends know that we are going to be parents again in June." said Spencer as he handed Olivia her sign, placed Piper's sign near Piper, and placed the blown up ultrasound photo with the due date next to Piper

The photographer laughed at the signs as Spencer got himself positioned for the photograph holding his sign up.

"You three ready?" asked the photographer

"Yep." said Olivia as she made sure that Piper was looking at the photographer

A minute later a photo of a grinning Spencer and Olivia who were both holding a sign saying I'VE BEEN NAUGHTY AGAIN, a sign saying I HAVE BEEN A GOOD GIRL propped up by a smiling Piper, and a sign that held a copy of the blown up ultrasound photo saying I'M THE REASON WHY MOMMY AND DADDY HAVE BEEN NAUGHTY FOR A SECOND YEAR IN A ROW, BUT I WILL BE HERE IN JUNE 2O13.

* * *

Spencer was in the bullpen with other agents and law enforcement with recent news about the school bus abduction on TV when Garcia and Kevin entered the bullpen.

"What we have is a school bus abduction which occurred at approximately 1 PM this afternoon." said Morgan

"What we do know is there were 24 students on board, along with the driver and a monitor." said Rossi

"GPS appears to have been disabled. Last known ping was a little over two hours ago." said Morgan

"Highway patrol has traced the route it was last traveling but found no signs of any accidents." said Rossi

"We have helicopters and ground units in the D. C. area working local search and rescue." said Morgan

"Which means we're likely dealing with more than one unsub." said JJ

"We've attempted to contact everyone on board, but so far all calls have gone unanswered." said Spencer

"But we can confirm that the students dropped off at the first two stops have been accounted for." said JJ

"The average school bus holds approximately 80 gallons of diesel fuel, making it possible for them to travel up to 550 miles on a single tank." said Spencer

"Which is why we believe they're still within a 200-mile radius." said JJ

Alex. who was walking on the balcony area towards the stairs with Hotch and Detective Richards spoke up.

"It could be a kidnapping, but we can't rule out anything from a terrorist act to a child trafficking ring." said Alex

"How does a busful of kids just vanish into thin air?" asked Detective Richards

"It doesn't. Whoever's got them's got a two-hour head start. We're treating this as a mass abduction. The SUVs are outside. We'll set up our command post at Central High." said Hotch as he looked at his agents, Garcia, and Kevin

Spencer pulled out his cellphone as they were heading outside and Olivia answered on the first ring.

"Did you hear about the missing high school students?" asked Olivia as her eyes were glued to the TV in her office while she rested her hands on her 9 week pregnant belly while thinking about those missing kids

"My teammates and I got that case, and we are heading to Central High School right now." said Spencer as he hurried to the exit with his teammates

"Cases dealing with kids must be hard for you Spencer." said Olivia

"Ever since becoming a parent these types of cases became harder for me, but having Piper motivates me even more." said Spencer

"Take care of yourself while I take care of Piper, myself, and our unborn baby." said Olivia

"I promise." said Spencer

"I will pick up your dad from the airport, and hopefully you and your teammates will save those kids so we can have something else to be thankful for on Thanksgiving tomorrow." said Olivia

"Let dad know that I will see him when I get home." said Spencer

"I will let you go. I love you." said Olivia

"Love you too." said Spencer before hanging up

"At least Thanksgiving dinner is being held at my house tomorrow." said Spencer as he looked at his teammates, causing everyone to nod in agreement

"So let's find those kids so we can celebrate Piper's first Thanksgiving tomorrow." said Hotch

* * *

Spencer was in an SUV that was speeding towards Central High School with Hotch, JJ, and Garcia as Garcia got off the phone.

"OK, thanks. Local P. D. says they just found a backpack full of the kids' cell phones half a mile from the second bus stop." said Garcia

"Disarming the GPS, disposing of cell phones feels less random and more premeditated." said JJ

"There were 7 other buses from different schools on their route. Why target this particular bus?" asked Spencer

"Maybe a group of kids got together to pull it off?" asked JJ

"Waited for their friends to get off at an earlier stop, then made their move." said Spencer

"OK, I'm checking school disciplinary records seeing if I can find any recent suspensions." said Garcia as she looked up some information

"It could be about a specific target and the other kids just got in the way." said Hotch as JJ's cellphone rang

"Alex, you're on speaker." said JJ

"Uh, I've been looking over the personnel files of the bus driver, Roy Webster. Something isn't adding up." said Alex

"What did you find?" asked Spencer

"Over the past 3 years, Webster had several altercations with students but was never formally reprimanded." said Alex

"It sounds like the school hasn't told us the whole story." said Rossi

"We know how disrespectful some teenagers can be. Maybe he snapped." said Morgan

"It could be payback for years of abuse." said JJ

"What about the woman who was on the bus?" asked Spencer

"That would be Carol Roberts, retired teacher, assigned to monitor Webster's bus 6 months ago." said Kevin

"What's that about?" asked Rossi

"I took a bus all through high school. We never had a monitor." said Kevin

"Makes you wonder who she was there to keep an eye on- the kids or Webster?" asked Morgan

* * *

Spencer climbed into the passenger seat as Alex took the drivers seat and Alex looked at Spencer who was looking at a picture of Piper.

"You alright?" asked Alex

"I am just thinking about Piper and my unborn child while trying to focus on the 24 missing kids." sighed Spencer

"We just have to find these kids, and then hopefully tomorrow we are stuffing our faces with turkey at your house." said Alex

"At least this is a local case." said Spencer

A few minutes later Alex pulled up at the abduction sight, and Spencer got out of the passenger seat as he talked.

"In the Chowchilla case, the unsub used car trouble as a ruse to get the bus driver's attention." said Spencer

"Yeah, I remember. The driver became a hero overnight." said Alex

"The most isolated part of the highway. It's surrounded by nothing." said Spencer as he looked at his surroundings

"No witnesses. Nobody to interrupt." said Alex

"Making them the perfect target." said Spencer

"Mm." said Alex

* * *

Spencer got out of an SUV wearing his Kevlar vest and headed towards a barn with his teammates and SWAT members who entered the barn first as Spencer cleared the barn with his teammates while Morgan cleared the bus by himself.

"Bus is all clear!" shouted Morgan as JJ pointed to some blood

Spencer and Alex approached Detective Richards as Spencer holstered his gun.

"Barn was registered to a Violet Burgin. She died a few months back. It's been abandoned ever since." said Detective Richards

"Making this a perfect transfer point." said Alex

At that moment dogs started barking and Spencer looked at Alex and Detective Richards as he unholstered his gun.

"They found something." said Spencer as he started sprinting towards the sound of barking dogs with Alex, Detective Richards, and a few SWAT agents

A SWAT agent opened the door for them, and Spencer sighed in relief when he saw a group of students huddling together.

"Please don't hurt us." said one of the girls

"It's OK. You guys are safe now." soothed Spencer before turning his attention to Detective Richards, Alex, and the SWAT agents "There's only 14 here. We need to find the other 10." said Spencer as he started cutting the zip ties with his pocket knife

* * *

Spencer watched a few of the teenagers being placed into cop cars, and Hotch looked at him.

"You alright?" asked Hotch

"Just thinking that we should be thankful that we found 14 of the 24 kids, and hopefully in a few hours we find the other 10 so all those parents are thankful that their kids came home safe to them for Thanksgiving tomorrow." said Spencer

Hotch nodded at his youngest agent's assessment.

"Being a parent changes your perspective." said Hotch

Spencer looked around to make sure that no one else was listening before speaking.

"I realized that since holding Piper for the first time five months ago, and it's going to be harder when I hold my second child for the first time in seven months." said Spencer

* * *

Spencer looked at the pictures of the 10 still missing students as he and his teammates tried to figure out why they were still missing.

"Dividing them into groups- you think that was to maintain control?" asked JJ

"Mm, could be, but how do you explain the shock collars?" asked Alex

"Torture." said JJ

"Still, there doesn't seem to be any method to how or why they were chosen." said Spencer

"OK, so far we have two white males, early 20s, and wore gas masks, of all things." said JJ

"Abducting a bus, a form of transportation, gas masks, shock collars. Dividing people into teams. This sounds a lot like "Gods of Combat." This is a video game." said Rossi

* * *

As Spencer was eating a late dinner, his cellphone rang and he saw that it was his dad.

"Sorry that I wasn't at the airport to pick you up." said Spencer

"It's OK. Olivia told me that you are working on finding those high school kids." said William as he had his eyes glued to the TV that was stating that 14 of the missing 24 kids were found alive

"Right now I am taking a quick dinner break, so what's up." said Spencer

"Well I am spending time with my granddaughter while Olivia and Ethel went to the store for some last minute shopping for tomorrow. And based on the sound of your voice, I know that having you hear your daughter's voice will cheer you up." said William as he placed his phone on speaker "Your daddy's on the phone Piper." said William

Piper's face lit up before she started crawling over to her grandpa, and when she got to the phone she spoke in her cute baby voice.

"Hi Dada." said Piper

Spencer smiled slightly before speaking up.

"Hi there Piper." said Spencer

"Luv ya Dada." said Piper

Spencer smiled when he heard his five month old daughter try to tell him that she loves him.

"I love you too Piper." said Spencer

William chuckled as he watched his granddaughter crawl over to Einstein.

"I will let you go so you can find those remaining 10 kids." said William

"Please don't allow Olivia to wait up for me when I am able to come home." said Spencer

"I promise Spencer, but please stay safe." said William

"I will try to stay safe dad." said Spencer before hanging up with his dad and Hotch looked at him

"Your dad?" asked Hotch

"His flight arrived earlier, and apparently he is watching the news right now since Olivia has been watching the news since finding out." said Spencer

"At least with having your dad and aunt already at your house, you could probably get to sleep in while Olivia, your dad, and your Aunt Ethel start preparing the turkey tomorrow." said Hotch

"I am definitely going to be keeping Piper close to me when I get home, even if it means having her sleep on top of me as soon as I get home and crawl into bed." said Spencer

* * *

A short while later Spencer was walking through the hallway of Central High with Detective Richards heading towards the room they were given to use.

"So these guys just got together and decided to pull this thing off?" asked Detective Richards

"You know, something this elaborate, it's likely they've known each other for years, actually." said Spencer as Garcia approached them

"Hey, I just got off the phone with the people who produce "Gods of Combat." Turns out they have 6 million players worldwide, 40,000 of which are D. C. residents." said Garcia as they entered the room the school was allowing them to use

"Garcia, if they're capable of this type of violence in real life, do you think we'd see some sort of evidence of it in their gaming history?" asked Spencer

"What type of evidence?" asked Detective Richards

"Yeah, he's talking about the universal online gaming code of conduct. Sure. It prevents against stuff like harassing, threatening other players, cyber-bullying, that kind of thing." said Garcia

"How's this supposed to help us find these kids?" asked Detective Richards

"Instead of looking for people who play the game, we need to look for people who were kicked out." said Hotch

* * *

Spencer was sitting on the edge of the table where Garcia was typing on her laptop.

"OK, a month ago two players were kicked out at the same time for hacking into hell mod. Previous to that, they both logged thousands of hours playing the game, dating back to early 2000." said Garcia

"You got any names, Garcia?" asked Morgan

"No, just online handles, but- you know what's weird? They were both playing from the same IP address." said Garcia

"So they live together." said Morgan

"They're roommates, maybe?" asked Spencer

"Or siblings." said Morgan

At that moment Spencer started thinking about Piper's little brother or sister that was currently growing in Olivia's womb.

"It doesn't make any sense. It they are siblings, how do you explain the gaps in time when they weren't logged in at the same location?" asked JJ

"Yeah, it looks like it happened several times a year, sometimes from different states." said JJ

Spencer thought about his own parents divorce before they started reconnecting after he tracked his father down before allowing him back into his life when Olivia entered his life.

"Maybe their parents got divorced." said Spencer

"Maybe the parents got divorced. Maybe the parents got divorced." said Garcia as she started typing "Leave it to the genius to come up with the obvious. Here we go. Here we go. Joshua and Matthew Moore. They both went to Central High. Their parents worked two jobs each to make ends meet. Led to a messy divorce. Joshua went to live with his dad in Arizona. Matthew stayed with his mom in D. C." said Garcia

"That's how they knew when to strike. They probably rode the same bus route." said JJ

"Long hours, different schedules. They were latchkey kids. Video games became their sitters." said Morgan

"As they got older, they got more competitive and it became all about bragging rights." said Spencer as he thought about how Piper and his unborn child might end up competitive in the future when it comes to intelligence

"This game became the core of their sibling rivalry." said JJ

"Only it wasn't just a game. "Gods of Combat" was their one constant connection to one another." said Morgan

* * *

Spencer was sitting at a table by Alex when Kevin came into the room.

"Picked up a ping on the E. L. F." said Kevin as he dropped a map in front of Spencer to show him "It's emanating from somewhere in this 25-mile radius, west of Bolivar." said Kevin as he showed Spencer locations that could work on the satellite images he found

"What fits?" asked Alex

"Well, there's a few old factories and a couple of bunkers from the seventies." said Kevin

"What is this?" asked Alex as she pointed at a building

"The old paper mill." said Kevin

"You know, given the size and location, that could be the perfect spot." said Spencer

Kevin looked at Spencer knowing to trust Spencer's instincts.

"I'll go pull the schematics." said Kevin as he quickly left the room

* * *

Spencer was going through hallways with Hotch and a few SWAT agents, and after hearing voices Spencer and a SWAT agent helped block exits when they found Matt pointing his gun at Addyson.

"Drop the gun, Matt." ordered Hotch

As Matt turned his attention to Hotch, Addyson quickly got off the ground and made her way over to Spencer.

"It's OK, it's over." soothed Spencer as he positioned Addyson behind him while Matt was handcuffed

As soon as Hotch nodded at him to take Addyson away, he holstered his revolver and looked at Addyson with soft eyes.

"Come on." said Spencer softly as he wrapped his arms around Addyson while he watched his back as he quickly led Addyson away while a SWAT agent followed him as back up

* * *

Spencer had his hand on Addyson's back leading her outside as Rossi and Billy walked behind them, and Spencer smiled when he saw Addyson hug her parents as Billy embraced his mom.

"Mom..." cried Addyson

"My baby boy!" cried Billy's mother

"I'm so sorry, Trent." cried Addyson as she watched Trent's body being put into the corner's van

* * *

Olivia looked at her husband who was doing magic tricks for Jack, Henry, and Piper.

"Spencer, can you come help me check on the turkey?" asked Olivia

"I can help you." said Rossi

"I need to talk to Spencer." said Olivia

Spencer quickly got off the floor and followed Olivia to the kitchen.

"Someone's in trouble now." teased Morgan causing Garcia to hit him on the head, making everyone including Jack, Henry, and Piper laugh

Spencer entered the kitchen with Olivia, quickly checked on the turkey and spoke up.

"It seems like it will be ready in 20 minutes." said Spencer

Olivia looked at the closed kitchen door before inching closer to her husband and wrapped her arms around him.

"What are you doing Olivia?" whispered Spencer

"I just want to kiss you for a few minutes." whispered Olivia

"The others are in the living room, and if we spend too much time in here one of them is going to send a search party." said Spencer as he leaned against the kitchen counter

"I don't care because I want some alone time with you, and I want to taste the coffee you drank earlier since I had to quit drinking coffee again to keep our baby safe." said Olivia

Spencer shook his head before locking his lips with Olivia's.

* * *

10 minutes later Garcia looked at the closed door that led to the kitchen, wondering why she didn't hear Spencer or Olivia's voices.

"What's taking them so long?" asked Garcia

"It's been 10 minutes." said Hotch

"We should probably check on them." said Garcia

Everyone excluding the kids walked into the kitchen and smirked when they saw Spencer and Olivia making out.

"Whoa." said Alex as she saw Spencer and Olivia kissing deeply, making her wish that James was home

At that moment Morgan and Garcia let out loud wolf whistles, causing Spencer and Olivia to break apart as their faces turned beat red while everyone burst into laughter.

"Sorry, we lost track of time." said Olivia as she fixed her blouse as Spencer fixed his shirt

"No wonder why you two are expecting your second child." smirked William, causing gasps from everyone but Hotch and Alex

"Surprise." said Olivia as she pulled her peasant style blouse tighter around her belly, showing off her nine week bump

"Oh my God!" squealed Garcia as she rushed to hug the young couple

"I can't breathe." said Spencer

"You're crushing a pregnant woman." said Olivia

Garcia quickly broke from the hug and looked at Olivia.

"I couldn't help it." said Garcia

"It's OK." said Olivia as she was kissed on the cheeks by Rossi before Rossi turned his attention to Spencer

"How far are you?" asked JJ as she hugged Spencer and Olivia

"Nine weeks, and we only found out last week." said Olivia as she accepted a hug from Alex

At that moment Spencer spoke up since his face returned to its normal color.

"We were going to tell you when stating what we are thankful for, but my dad decided to spill the beans." said Spencer as he accepted more hugs or handshakes from his teammates and Will

"How are you announcing the baby this year?" asked Garcia

"Spencer and I decided to do the same type of photo we did last year." said Olivia

Everyone laughed since they remembered the card that had a photo of Spencer holding a sign saying WE'VE BEEN NAUGHTY while Olivia held an ultrasound photo by her belly.

"My mom did get a kick out of that card, but I won't tell her since you two have the right to tell her yourselves." said Morgan

"In a few weeks you guys will be getting a card in the mail." said Olivia

"Can I call Emily and give her the news?" asked Garcia as she thought how long postal mail takes

"We want to send her that card instead, since she had a habit of calling me a naughty boy in the past." said Spencer

At that moment Hotch, JJ, Rossi, and Garcia burst out laughing since they remembered when she called Spencer a naughty boy for lying to Hotch about his clearance to travel after getting shot.

Morgan looked at Spencer.

"You really have to give me advice later since you have been married for over a year, have a five month old daughter, and are now expecting your second child." said Morgan

"Your mom nagging you about grandchildren again?" teased Spencer

Morgan nodded.

"Just don't tell your mom and sisters about the baby because Olivia and I are going to be sending them that card." said Spencer

"I promise." said Morgan

At that moment the oven timer went off, and Spencer went to check on the turkey and spoke up.

"It's finished. So everyone can start filling their plates while I get the turkey on the table." said Spencer

"I will go get Piper ready." said Olivia

"Let me help you Spencer, so I can get Piper's pureed turkey made." said Ethel

"Thanks Aunt Ethel." said Spencer

At that moment everyone started filling their plates with the food they brought as Spencer got the turkey on the table.

* * *

A few minutes after everyone started eating, Garcia looked at Olivia.

"Are you up to Black Friday shopping with JJ and I tomorrow morning?" asked Garcia

"I am definitely going with you two girls tomorrow since I need some girl time with you while Spencer gets to spend time with Piper." said Olivia as she thought about the planned trip to Victoria's Secret before looking at Alex "Would you like to come Alex?"

"I am going to Skype with James tomorrow, but I won't tell him about the baby since I think having you two tell him by sending him that Christmas card will be fun." said Alex as she thought about James's reaction to the Christmas card nearly a year ago

Spencer looked at his wife.

"Can you please make sure that Garcia doesn't go overboard on shopping for Piper and our unborn child tomorrow?" asked Spencer, causing everyone to laugh while

Garcia mock glared at him

"Don't worry, since JJ and I made a pact to make sure that Garcia doesn't shop alone." said Olivia

"Whew." said Spencer as he wiped off an imaginary bead of sweat, causing everyone to laugh while Garcia pouted


	17. Magnificent Light

Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds

 _A/N: Shout out to Mrs. JaganshiReidofHufflepuff, OhSnapItsMadison, and Fashionista7 for reviewing chapter 16._

 _Only 14 more reviews until this story has a total of 100 reviews, and I am happy about the feedback I am getting on this story._

* * *

Spencer carried a big box into the living room and grinned at Olivia who was giving Piper her bottle.

"As soon as I get this tree up and Piper gets burped we can make hot chocolate and decorate the tree while listening to Christmas carols." said Spencer

"Lovely idea." said Olivia as she started burping Piper

"At least we already have Piper's first Christmas ornament that you had made while Black Friday shopping." said Spencer as he started putting up the tree

"JJ insisted on getting that ornament as an early Christmas present for Piper when I was asked about when we were putting up our tree." said Olivia as she licked her lips at the view of her husband putting the artificial Christmas tree together

Spencer smirked at his wife as he watched her lick her lips.

"Not now Olivia." said Spencer

Before Olivia could say something, Piper let out a loud burp.

"That was a good one Piper." said Spencer

"You want to watch Mommy and Daddy decorate the Christmas tree?" asked Olivia

Piper turned her head over to where her daddy was putting up the Christmas tree.

"Tree." said Piper as she pointed at the tree

"Very good Piper." praised Olivia as she watched her husband wrap the lights around the tree

10 minutes later Spencer and Olivia were decorating the Christmas tree while Christmas music played on the radio with them singing along, and when " _Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree_ " started playing. Spencer looked at his wife.

"Want to dance?" asked Spencer as he held out his hands

"Yes." said Olivia as she got into position to swing dance with her husband

"I'm going to go a bit slower due to you being 10 weeks pregnant." said Spencer as he started dancing with Olivia following his lead

Piper, who was on the couch in a position that allowed her to watch her parents decorate the tree ended up giggling as she watched them dance before they focused on decorating the tree again.

* * *

After Spencer and Olivia were done decorating the tree and living room, Spencer stood behind Olivia as he wrapped his arms around her, making his hands rest on her 10 week pregnant belly.

"We did a great job." said Spencer

"In a few years, Piper and our unborn child will take part in decorating the Christmas tree with us." said Olivia as she rested her hands on top of Spencer's hands

"This is going to be the best Christmas ever." murmured Spencer

"You said that last year." teased Olivia

"Last year you were two months pregnant with Piper, even though you're 10 weeks pregnant right now with our second child." said Spencer

At that moment Piper started fussing since she wanted to be held by her daddy.

"Dada." said Piper

Spencer turned his head towards his fussy daughter.

"Yes Piper?" asked Spencer as he made funny faces at her to get her to laugh

Piper raised her arms to let her daddy know that she wants to be held by him.

"You want to be in my arms?" asked Spencer

"Ya." said Piper

Spencer let go of his wife, lifted Piper off the couch and walked over to the tree with her in his arms.

"This is our Christmas tree, and you will be seeing it around this time every year." said Spencer as Olivia wrapped an arm around his waist

* * *

Spencer woke up to Piper's crying, causing him to fumble for his glasses before heading to the nursery while allowing his 10 week pregnant wife to sleep. A minute later he scooped Piper from her crib.

"Dada." cried Piper

"What's wrong Piper?" asked Spencer as he checked Piper's diaper and noticed that it was still clean and dry before checking her mouth since she was sprouting another tooth "Ah you have another tooth coming in." said Spencer as he held Piper close to his chest while he bounced her a bit

"Let's go downstairs and get you a teething ring." said Spencer as he exited the nursery with Piper in his arms

A few minutes later Spencer was sitting on the couch with Piper who happily had a teething ring in her mouth looking at the newly decorated Christmas tree.

"Want me to sing you a lullaby?" asked Spencer

Piper removed the teething ring from her mouth and looked at her daddy.

"Sing?" asked Piper

Spencer chuckled.

"I will sing one of my favorite lullabies to you." said Spencer as he got off the couch with Piper in his arms

Less than 20 seconds later later he was slowly dancing in the living room with Piper in his arms with her head resting on his shoulder as he sang _"All Through The Night"_ while rubbing Piper's back, while not realizing that Olivia was out of bed filming he and Piper.

Spencer stopped singing a few minutes later. Piper lifted her head a bit and looked into her daddy's eyes.

"I seepy Dada." said Piper

Spencer's daddy translator quickly translated what his daughter was trying to tell him.

"You want to go back to bed?" asked Spencer

Piper let out a yawn.

"I am going to have you sleep with mommy and I because I love it when you sleep on top of me, but a diaper change is calling your name first." said Spencer as he carried his daughter upstairs to her nursery so he could put a fresh diaper on her before going back to bed

A few minutes later Spencer was in bed with Piper sleeping on top of him.

* * *

Spencer walked into the bullpen, and Garcia made a beeline for him.

"Olivia sent me a very cute video of you and Piper this morning." said Garcia

Spencer groaned as he made a mental note to call Olivia and ask her to stop secretly recording videos of him and Piper.

"You slow dancing with Piper in the living room near the Christmas tree is so adorable." cooed Garcia as she showed Spencer the video on her phone of him singing softly

At that moment JJ and Alex came over and looked at Penelope.

"Did you get the same video?" asked JJ

Spencer's face heated up causing JJ, Alex, and Garcia to laugh, and before they knew it they heard Hotch's voice.

"Why are you three girls laughing? Why is Reid's face red as a tomato?" asked Hotch

"You have to see this video, Boss Man." said Garcia as she showed Hotch the video that Olivia sent him

After the video ended, Hotch looked at Garcia, JJ, and Alex.

"Just make sure that Morgan doesn't see it or he will be teasing Reid." said Hotch

"I already showed it to him." said Garcia

At that moment Morgan entered the break area.

"No wonder you and Olivia already conceived your second child due to how great you are with Piper." said Morgan

Spencer shook his head.

"Olivia and I agreed that we wanted more than one child. When it comes to having children, a child is created out of love while you prefer to stick with practicing." said Spencer

At that moment Garcia burst out laughing since she remembered when Morgan said that he'd rather stick to practicing.

"Nice one. Boy Wonder." said Garcia as she gave Spencer a high five

"I remember when Morgan said that when Jack came here for the first time while I mentioned something about baldness and wrinkles." said Spencer

"If Piper was born bald, I would have repeated your words back to you." said Hotch

"There's a chance that my unborn child will be born with a full head of hair, and Olivia and I are both hoping for a son especially since Olivia has her beginning of the second trimester ultrasound scheduled in three weeks." said Spencer

"I will make sure that you have off for that ultrasound." said Hotch

"Speaking of doctor appointments, next week I will be coming in late due to a doctor appointment." said Spencer

"About your reoccurring strep throat?" asked Hotch

Spencer nodded.

Hotch looked at Garcia, JJ, Alex, Spencer, and Morgan.

"Let's get to work." said Hotch

As Spencer walked to his desk, he pulled out his cellphone and sent Olivia a text message.

WE ARE GOING TO TALK LATER ABOUT YOU FILMING MOMENTS BETWEEN PIPER AND I WITHOUT MY KNOWLEDGE AND SENDING THE VIDEOS TO MY TEAMMATES. ~ SR

A minute later Spencer's phone vibrated and Spencer shook his head when he read the text message.

I COULDN'T HELP IT. THAT MOMENT BETWEEN YOU AND PIPER WAS SO ADORABLE SINCE YOU GOT MY PREGNANCY HORMONES TO ACT UP WHILE WATCHING THAT SWEET MOMENT. ~ OR

* * *

"Two people have been brutally stabbed in Seattle in the last two days. Lincoln Bell, 28, he was found on Friday night. And then Cynthia Strobl, 42, her body was found last night. Both of them were killed in their own apartments." said Garcia

"Police are sure it's the same killer?" asked JJ

"Yes, because the same message was left behind." answered Garcia

"Hear your evil, see your evil." Isn't the phrase supposed to be "see no evil, hear no evil"?" asked Rossi

"Yeah, it certainly changes the meaning, which is supposed to be about remaining virtuous even when surrounded by evil." said Spencer

"Well, the question is, did the killer just get the phrase wrong, or was he trying to send a completely different message?" asked Morgan

"The killer could have been a non-native-English speaker. But this syntax doesn't help identify his first language." said Alex

"And the other question is, who is this message for? Is it a taunt to the police?" asked JJ

"It could be used to justify the murders." said Hotch

"You know, if you take the words literally, if sounds like he's speaking directly to the victims." said Spencer

"Was the message written with the victims' blood?" asked Rossi

"The lab results aren't back yet." answered Garcia

"Are there any witnesses?" asked Alex

"It doesn't look that way. Which means the entry to the apartments was planned and methodical, but the actual killings seem chaotic and disorganized." said Morgan

"Maybe the unsub knew them and took the time to plan his break-in, but once he got close, his rage took over and he snapped." said Rossi

"You know, one thing's for sure. With at least 30 stab wounds to each victim, this unsub sure has a lot of anger." said Spencer

"We need more answers. Let's head to Seattle." said Hotch as everyone got up and he looked at JJ and Spencer

"You two can handle making phone calls on the way to the jet since it's waiting for us right now." said Hotch

Spencer nodded as he headed to his desk with his phone glued to his ear.

"You have a case?" asked Olivia

"Going to Seattle, and I am heading to the jet right now." said Spencer as he pulled on his suit jacket and grabbed his messenger bag and go bag

"Well, since this is an urgent case, hopefully you have some time to call me later." said Olivia

Spencer started heading to the elevators with his teammates.

"Please take care of yourself, Piper, and our unborn child while I make sure that I come home to the three of you." said Spencer

"I love you Spencer." said Olivia

"And I love you, Piper, and our unborn child." said Spencer before hanging up

JJ looked at Spencer.

"You and Olivia should probably think of a nickname until you find out the gender." said JJ

* * *

"There's doesn't seem to be a connection between the two victims. Different gender, race, age. And they lived in different parts of the city." said Rossi as he walked out of the small kitchenette with a bowl of popcorn

"Yeah. Lincoln Bell worked in ticket sales at El Portal auditorium for the last 3 years. Cynthia Strobl was an accountant. She moved to Seattle a year ago." said Garcia as JJ took some popcorn

"It's unlikely they would have ever crossed paths. Unless Cynthia bought a ticket from him at some point." said Alex

"According to his mother, Lincoln's dream was to be an architect. If he wasn't working, he was studying." said JJ

"And Cynthia liked big band music and lectures at the museum, so the one thing they did have in common was very low-risk lifestyles." said Morgan

"Okay, I've confirmed that Cynthia lived in a security complex, the kind you need a special key fob to get in. And Lincoln was living in a studio apartment at the top floor of a 6-story walkup." said Garcia

"So the unsub had the intelligence and the patience to get past the security entrance. He either used a ruse or he blended in with the other residents." said Spencer

"And he had to be in good physical shape to kill Lincoln Bell." said Rossi

"So, he bypassed easier victims and potential witnesses to commit these murders." said JJ

"He was mission oriented." said Hotch

"Someone went out of their way to target these two people." said Morgan

"Yeah, look at these crime scene photos. There's not a hint of remorse. This unsub was determined and relentless, like he couldn't kill these victims enough." said Spencer as he looked at the photos

"And the different typology means they weren't surrogates for anyone. So each victim probably did something separately to incite the unsub's rage." said JJ

"But it must have been the same trigger that set him off, because the murders were so similar." said Alex

"So, they had something in common outside of low-risk lifestyles." said Rossi

"We need a point of convergence, either a person or a place between the unsub and these two victims." said Hotch

Rossi looked at his teammates.

"We might as well finish that bowl of popcorn before we land." said Rossi as he, JJ, and Morgan each took a handful of popcorn

Spencer shook his head as he checked his messenger bag since he knew that Olivia loves to put healthy snacks in there for him to eat during plane rides and found some dried cranberries.

"Apparently Olivia put dried cranberries in my messenger bag." said Spencer as he opened the Ziploc bag and popped a few into his mouth

* * *

Spencer got into the passenger seat of the SUV, and Rossi looked at him.

"Right now would be a good time to call Olivia and check on her and Piper." said Rossi

"I was planning on it." said Spencer

"How about you put Olivia on speaker? Because I want to hear Piper's voice." said Rossi

Spencer shook his head, knowing that Piper has the entire BAU wrapped around her finger even though he is Piper's favorite man as he dialed Olivia's number.

"Did you arrive in Seattle yet?" asked Olivia as she bounced Piper on her knee

"Just a few minutes ago, and I decided to check on you and Piper." said Spencer

Olivia put the phone on speaker and she looked at Piper.

"Daddy's on the phone." said Olivia

At that moment Piper's face lit up at the mention of her favorite man.

"Dada!" exclaimed Piper

Spencer grinned when he heard the voice of his little girl.

"Hey there, Piper. I had to go away for a few days, but you be good for your mommy and I will play with you when I come home." said Spencer

"Miss ya Dada." said Piper

"I miss you too." said Spencer

"Am I chopped liver?" asked Olivia

Spencer gulped at his pregnant wife's comment.

"I miss you and our unborn child too." said Spencer

"We will let you go so you can get back to work." said Olivia

"I love you two girls." said Spencer

"Luv ya Dada." said Piper

"I love you too Piper." said Spencer

"I love you Spencer." said Olivia

"I love you too Olivia." said Spencer before hanging up and Rossi looked at him

"You must love it when you hear Piper tell you that she loves you." said Rossi

"I do love hearing my daughter tell me that she loves me." said Spencer

"How has Olivia been doing with her pregnancy?" asked Rossi

"She's 10 weeks now, and she is taking medication for her nausea." said Spencer

"What about that bracelet that she wore last year?" asked Rossi

"She has started wearing it again, but it's predicted that there will only be two more weeks of morning sickness." said Spencer

At that moment Rossi pulled up to the ME's office, and Spencer began focusing on the case.

Spencer was standing be the table that contained Cynthia's corpse with Rossi as Dr. Frome spoke to them.

"Cause of death was massive hemorrhage. Both the carotid and the femoral arteries were severed, in addition to the other stab wounds. There's no signs of any other injuries or of sexual assault." said Dr. Frome

"Were the arteries cut first?" asked Rossi

"It's hard to say, but it's very likely." said Dr. Frome as she walked over to the drawers to show them the other victim "The first victim, Lincoln Bell, he had the same targeted lacerations to those arteries. The other stab wounds, they seem more random."

"So the unsub knew the best way to kill them, but he stabbed them multiple times afterwards to express his rage." said Spencer

"There's also something else that's unusual. These stab wounds have a curvature to them. They weren't made with an ordinary straight blade." said Dr. Frome

"What sort of knife did he use?" asked Spencer

"Based on my measurements, they were curved, sort of like a half circle." said Dr. Frome

"Like a mezzaluna." said Rossi

"Does a mezzaluna look like this?" asked Dr. Frome as she showed a picture

"Not exactly." said Rossi

"The knife that made these wounds probably had a vertical handle at least 6 inches long in order to get the leverage for the depth." said Dr. Frome

"You know, that looks like a ceremonial weapon of some sort." said Spencer

"I agree. These killings could be sacrificial." said Rossi

* * *

Spencer was walking to the bullpen area of the Seattle Police Department with Rossi and Alex.

"Flynn had the means and the opportunity. I'm just not clear about the motive." said Rossi

"We all know that public figures like politicians can have psychopathic tendencies and the ability to hide it." said Spencer

"But it doesn't make any sense that he'd kill his own paying customers. And why start here, in Seattle?" asked Alex

"Why leave the bizarre message at the crime scenes?" asked Rossi

"Well, Flynn's obviously a native English speaker, so, if he is the unsub, then the message could be indicative of some sort of delusion or psychosis." said Alex

"That is possible given the ceremonial knife that was used. You know, no history of recent head trauma. He's too old to have suffered a traditional schizophrenic break. Maybe a drug-induced psychosis?" asked Spencer

"No. Flynn's clean as a whistle. Doesn't even eat dairy according to his bio." said Rossi

"Well, as a celebrity, he has a vested interest in a clean image. But who was he, really?" asked Alex

At that moment Detective Chen approached Spencer, Rossi, and Alex.

"Flynn's rental car was just located outside a bar in Alki." said Detective Chen

* * *

"While we initially thought Barry Flynn might be a suspect, it turns out we're looking for one of his followers. An unsub who suffers from erotomania. He's obsessed with Flynn, his latest abductee, and he may believe that Flynn's also in love with him." said JJ

"Erotomania has very little to do with sex. It's a romantic or spiritual connection that erotomanics crave. Victims of the delusion tend to be from a higher social status and have done very little to stimulate or encourage such a belief." said Spencer

"In fact, it's likely the unsub and Barry Flynn have had no previous contact. His infatuation probably began from afar, considering Flynn's celebrity status." said Rossi

"The patience required to commit his crimes makes us believe he's a male in his late 30s to 40s who is single and socially immature. He's a loner with poor social skills." said Alex

"And although he is capable of holding down a job, he most likely neglects his duties to focus on his obsession. This is a guy who spends much of his time living in his delusional fantasy world. And he may have been tracking Flynn for quite some time." said Morgan

"And with erotomania, the most likely recipient of violence is the person standing in the way of the desired object." said Hotch

"It's possible the unsub witnessed an interaction between his two first victims and Flynn, killing them in a jealous rage." said Alex

"Another possibility is that the unsub killed them to prove his devotion." said JJ

"The weapon used had a ceremonial quality to it. Which means the unsub probably views these victims as sacrifices, and the messages he is leaving may be meant for Flynn." said Spencer

"In his head, he may believe that he's already involved in a personal relationship with Flynn. And now that Flynn is under his control, this situation is especially precarious." said Morgan

"If the unsub is under the delusion that Flynn also cares about him, then any misstep by Flynn that contradicts that belief, could lead to more victims or even Flynn's own murder, to prove they have a special bond." said Rossi

"With each passing hour, it's increasingly unlikely that Flynn will be able to match the unsub's expectations for him. So we must act quickly. Thank you." said Hotch

At that moment Spencer's cellphone rang and he saw that it was Olivia. Hotch nodded at him to take the call.

"You calling so I can say goodnight to Piper?" asked Spencer

"Yes, sir." said Olivia

Spencer chuckled at his wife's answer.

"Please put her on." said Spencer as he sat down at the table, not even caring that his teammates were nearby

At that moment Spencer heard Olivia address Piper.

"Daddy's on the phone." said Olivia

"Dada!" exclaimed Piper

"Mommy getting you ready for bed?" asked Spencer with a slight smile on his face

"Ya." said Piper

"Even though I am three hours behind you, I have time to say good night to you." said Spencer

"Luv ya Dada." said Piper

"I love you too Piper." said Spencer

"Goo nigh Dada." said Piper

Spencer smiled at his daughter's attempt to say good night, and he was proud of her for getting close.

"Good night, Piper." said Spencer

At that moment he heard Olivia's voice.

"You just got her to sleep." said Olivia

"Good, especially since she isn't sleeping that much during the day now, even though she is waking us up less at night." said Spencer

"But in six and a half months, we will be adjusting to losing sleep again." said Olivia

"I have to go, and you sound exhausted." said Spencer

"Well, it's the consequences for getting me pregnant again." teased Olivia

"I know that if I was home right now, you would force me to sleep on the couch." teased Spencer

"You're right about that." said Olivia

"Well, I have to get going." said Spencer

"I love you Spencer." said Olivia

"I love you too, Olivia." said Spencer before hanging up

* * *

Spencer poured himself a cup of coffee before getting a snack from the machine as he talked to Alex who was fixing herself a cup of coffee.

"Why was there so much overkill on the two victims?" asked Spencer as he sat down

"They were threats to the unsub's imaginary relationship with Flynn." said Alex as she sat down

"They hardly knew Flynn. I mean, at least 4 other people had private meetings with him. He gave autographs to at least a dozen others. Why those two?" asked Spencer

"Well, it's not reality based. His delusional mind exaggerated the relationships they had with Flynn." said Morgan

"Maybe he's not driven by jealousy. What if the overkill was to make doubly sure that they were dead and couldn't come back to life?" asked Spencer

"The way you'd want to kill a monster in a horror movie." said Morgan

"Exactly. Maybe he saw them as evil." said Spencer

"That could explain the messages on the wall." said Alex

* * *

Spencer was walking with Alex, Rossi, and Carl Finster's boss in the credit card company where Carl worked.

"Some of his co-workers thought he was mentally ill. When someone suggested he get help, he went off, practically threatened to kill her." said David Cooper

"What did you think?" asked Alex

"Something wasn't right. I mean, you'd be talking to him and he wouldn't even be looking at you. He'd be looking around you." said David

"Was it like he was hallucinating?" asked Spencer

"Yeah. He started getting weird with the customers and going off script, and, you know, I had to fire him." said David

"Going off script in what ways?" asked Rossi as everyone stopped walking and Spencer crossed his arms

David sighed.

"We have a set algorithm of questions depending on what the customer's calling about. We review transcripts regularly, and Carl was perfectly fine with some customers. But with others, he'd be verbally abusive for no reason." explained David

David started playing the recordings from the phone calls.

"Why does my card keep getting rejected? I've been paying the minimum balance on time." said a random man

"You were 5 days late in your April payment, so you're a liar." said Carl through the computer

"What? Did you just call me a liar?" asked the man

"I know who you are, Howard Jephson. I can see your words." said Carl through the computer

"Okay, you know what? I want to talk to your supervisor." said the man

"You are rotten to the core! You don't deserve any more credit!" shouted Carl through the computer

David shut off the recording and looked at Spencer, Alex, and Rossi.

"See what I was dealing with? Carl was attacking certain customers for no reason." said David

"Why did he come back last night?" asked Alex

"Well, at first I thought he came here to shoot up the place. But now I think it was to steal the recordings of his calls. We confirmed he downloaded a file." said David

At that moment Spencer realized what Carl could be dealing with.

"Wait a minute, guys. He told the caller he could see his words. And you said he acted like he was hallucinating?" as he looked at Carl's boss "I think I might know what's wrong with him." said Spencer

As Spencer, Alex, and Rossi left the credit card company, Spencer called Hotch.

"Yeah, Reid?" asked Hotch

"I think I know what the unsub has." said Spencer

"Explain." said Hotch

"He has synesthesia. It's a neurological phenomenon in which two or more senses are triggered simultaneously. For instance, someone might associate specific numbers with colors or even be able to taste music. I think Carl has the form of synesthesia in which he can literally see the words that people are speaking." said Spencer

"Hence the message he left- "hear your evil, see your evil." said Alex

JJ decided to back up Spencer's suspicion.

"It looks like he transcribed conversations he had with people in different colors of ink. Green, orange, red." said JJ as she showed Hotch and Morgan what she found

"Well, these are not happy conversations." said Morgan

"Reid, we can see here that each of the colors mean something different to him. White words mean the speaker is good." said Hotch

"It looks like the orange ink means the speaker's a liar." said JJ

"You know, maybe he sees people's word in different colors depending on what type of person he thinks they are." said Spencer

"What's the content of the red ones?" asked Rossi

"Oh, they're angry. He accuses them of being evil." said JJ as she looked at the papers

"And so he sees their words in red. "Hear your red, see your red." said Hotch

"He might believe it's a super power." said Alex

"It looks like he tried to stop the synesthesia by wearing tinted glasses." said Morgan as he looked at a box

"The fact is, we know his latest victim was a customer he spoke to. His old boss says he came in last night and stole a copy of the recordings. The only reason is to compile a list of people he considers evil." said Rossi

"Exactly. The hit list. And he's got all their addresses and vital information." said Hotch

* * *

Spencer quietly stripped down to his boxers and crawled under the covers, and as he set his glasses on the nightstand Olivia opened her eyes and smiled when she realized that her husband is home.

"I just had a wonderful dream that my husband came home and a few pleasant things happened." said a groggy Olivia

"I just got home." said Spencer as he wrapped his arm around Olivia, resting his hand on her 10 week pregnant belly

"I never got a phone call or text message from you." said Olivia

"I wanted to surprise you." said Spencer

"Which you did." said Olivia as she maneuvered her body so she could make eye contact with him "You slept during the flight home?" asked Olivia

"Yes." said Spencer

"Since it's going to be a few hours before you fall asleep again, you are going to help me make the dream I just had come true." said Olivia as winked at her husband

"Oh really?" asked Spencer as he waggled his eyebrows

"Yes, really." said Olivia as she locked her lip's with Spencer's, knowing what their heated make out session will lead to


	18. The Lesson

Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds

 _A/N: Shout out to Snowdrop65, OhSnapItsMadison, Mrs. JaganshiReidofHufflepuff, and Hippichic81 for reviewing chapter 17._

 _The interesting thing about the episode this chapter will be based on, is that Hanna Hall (Who I cast as Olivia) plays Connie in this episode._

 _There is no Maeve and Bobby in this chapter._

* * *

Spencer was sitting on the exam table, while Olivia sat in a nearby chair with Piper sitting on her lap as Dr. Snow came into the room and turned his attention to Spencer.

"You must be Spencer Reid." said Dr. Snow

Spencer nodded.

Dr. Snow snapped on some latex free gloves and looked at Spencer as he grabbed a tongue depressor and a penlight.

"Open up." said Dr. Snow

Spencer obediently opened his mouth and Dr. Snow turned on his pen light as he looked at Spencer's tonsils.

"You definitely need your tonsils removed." said Dr. Snow as he started explaining the procedure and the type of anesthesia that would be used and the pre-operation and post operation instructions he would need to follow and when he was finished he looked at Spencer "Any questions?"

"How soon can you do the surgery? I am practically on call 24/7." said Spencer

"What's your occupation?" asked Dr. Snow

"I'm a profiler for the FBI's Behavioral Analysis Unit in Quantico, Virginia." said Spencer

At the mention of Virginia and FBI, Dr. Snow thought about a conversation that he had with an ER doctor friend of his three years ago.

"Do you know a Dr. Barton from McLean, Virginia?" asked Dr. Snow

"I worked the case with him and his son being threatened." said Spencer

"I remember him saying that a young agent got shot while protecting him when the agent realized that Dr. Barton was the target instead of his son, and I wonder if you know the agent who got shot." said Dr. Snow

"I was the agent who got shot, and if Dr. Barton saw me today he probably wouldn't recognize me since my hair is much shorter than it was back then, and I put on much needed weight during the months I spent hobbling around on crutches and going to physical therapy." said Spencer

Dr. Snow chuckled at Spencer's comment since Dr. Barton told him that he was concerned about the agent's weight being a bit too low.

"Thank you for saving my friend's life a few years ago." said Dr. Snow

"It's part of the job, but we should get back on topic. How soon can you do the tonsillectomy?" asked Spencer

"Well I am booked until next year, but on the 17th I have the day off so I can get my last minute Christmas shopping finished, but I am willing to sacrifice a few hours to remove your tonsils." said Dr. Snow

"You don't have to cancel your day off for me." said Spencer

"I want to as my way to thank you for saving my friend's life three years ago." said Dr. Snow

"Fine, but I will need to hand paperwork to my boss about taking time off to recover." said Spencer

Dr. Snow looked at the calendar.

"With the surgery happening a week before Christmas, I think that you should stay off work until after New Years." said Dr. Snow

Olivia smirked at her husband.

"With your surgery happening on the 17th, that means that you will be home for my ultrasound on the 20th." said Olivia

Dr. Snow looked at Olivia.

"How far along are you Mrs. Reid?" asked Dr. Snow

"11 weeks." said Olivia

Dr. Snow looked at Piper, who was chewing on the ear of her teddy bear.

"How old is your daughter?" asked Dr. Snow

"She's turning six months old on the day you are performing the tonsillectomy." said Spencer

* * *

Spencer, Olivia, and Piper were leaving the ear, nose, and throat clinic and Spencer looked at his little girl.

"I love you, Piper Ann." said Spencer

"Luv ya Dada." said Piper

"I love you Olivia." said Spencer before pecking his wife on the lips

"I love you too. Get going Spencer, or I might have to decide to lock you in my office until it's time for me to go home today." teased Olivia

Spencer knelt down to his wife's belly and kissed it.

"Daddy loves you." said Spencer before straightening to his full height and walked over to his car as Olivia got Piper into the back seat of her SUV

Before Spencer buckled himself in, he checked his phone for messages and saw a text message from Hotch.

WE HAVE A CASE. ARE YOU FINISHED AT THE DOCTOR'S OFFICE? ~ AH

Spencer quickly typed a reply.

JUST LEAVING THE DOCTOR'S OFFICE RIGHT NOW, AND I WILL GET THERE ASAP. ~ SR

As Spencer started his car, his phone vibrated.

JUST DON'T GET IN AN ACCIDENT, AND IT'S OK IF YOU HAVE TO MISS A FEW MINUTES OF BRIEFING. ~ AH

At that moment, Spencer waved as his wife before pulling out of his parking spot and driving towards Quantico.

* * *

Spencer rushed into the conference room.

"Sorry I'm late, guys. I got held up at the doctor's office." said Spencer as he removed his messenger bag from around his shoulder

"Yeah. Okay." said Garcia as Spencer sat down "3 days ago, Bruce Phillips was found dead with his blond hair dyed black. He had been put in a box and left on a busy street." said Garcia as she showed a picture of the victim and the box he was found in

"A custom-made box." said Rossi

"Maybe our unsub was a carpenter." said Alex

"He stuffed him in there practically folding him in half." said Morgan

"He had also been hung and restrained and that's where the plot thickens like bad soup. Yesterday, Justin Marks and Connie Foster, who were dating, they went missing two miles away from the first abduction site." said Garcia

"A couple? He's escalating." said JJ

"Yes. This morning Justin's body was found. He had been hung. He had been stuffed in a box left in an alley. Officers say his brown hair had been dyed black. Connie's still missing." said Garcia

"So he probably still has her." said JJ

"Why would he reject Justin overnight but keep the first male victim for two days?" asked Morgan

"Something about him didn't work out. Look at his neck. He was hung multiple times." said Rossi

"The question is, what does he do with Connie?" asked Alex

"He could make her watch him abuse the men or have asphyxiative sex with them." said Spencer

"Well, a brunette male and a woman are crucial to this guy's fantasy." said Morgan

"Well, he's kept Connie. Maybe she's the object of his desire." said JJ

"Well, our first order of business is finding her and then making sure he doesn't do this again. Wheels up in 30." said Hotch before looking at Spencer "Olivia sent me a text, telling me that you have to talk to me about something."

"I'd rather talk to you in your office before I call Olivia." said Spencer

"Let's head to my office then." said Hotch as he and Reid both got up

Less than a minute later, Spencer was pulling out the paperwork from the specialist that was going to be doing his surgery and passed the papers to Hotch.

"I am scheduled for a tonsillectomy on the 17th." said Spencer

Hotch quickly skimmed the paperwork before grabbing the papers he needed Spencer to sign for taking a leave of absence, and Spencer quickly jotted down the dates he will be gone, the reason why he will be gone before signing his name.

"I will send these papers to Human Resources right away, and I hope you stay away from this building until the day you are supposed to come back." said Hotch

"I promise that I will stay away from here, and Olivia did tell me that the bright side of having the tonsillectomy scheduled for the 17th means that I won't be missing Piper's first Christmas and Olivia's end of the first trimester ultrasound." said Spencer

"I agree, and you should probably go call your wife since we have to be on the jet in 15 minutes." said Hotch

At that moment Spencer left Hotch's office and as he walked to his desk, he pulled out his phone and called Olivia who answered on the second ring.

"Where are you heading to?" asked Olivia

"Your home state." said Spencer

"Where in my home state?" asked Olivia

"Winslow, Arizona." said Spencer

"Three hours north of where I grew up." said Olivia

"I know." said Spencer

"Did Hotch talk to you about the text I sent you?" asked Olivia

"Yes he did, and he is getting the paperwork filed right now." said Spencer

"I will let you go so you can catch your flight." said Olivia

"I promise to stay safe while you take care of Piper, yourself, and our unborn child." said Spencer

"You got that right." teased Olivia

"I love you Olivia." said Spencer

"I love you too, Spencer." said Olivia before hanging up so she could head to her classroom

Spencer quickly made sure he had everything he needed, and a minute later he was in the elevators with his teammates and Morgan looked at him.

"How did your doctor appointment go?" asked Morgan

"I'd rather focus on the case right now, and during the flight home I will tell you guys what's going on." said Spencer

"Reid's right about focusing on the case." said Hotch

* * *

Spencer was sitting with his hand fisted on his cheek as he thought about his upcoming surgery and unborn child.

"All right, let's go over victimology." said Hotch as he gained everyone's attention "Both male victims had their hair dyed black, and the woman is a brunette."

"The guys are similar. Same ages, same builds." said Alex

"They were also abducted outside their homes, which were all in the same area." said Rossi

"So they were probably being stalked." said Morgan

"Was Connie with her boyfriend when she was abducted?" asked Spencer

"It looks that way. Her purse was found on the ground outside of his house." said JJ

"So this involves some kind of ruse." said Morgan

"It's difficult to lure most people from the security of their own homes." said Spencer

"Well, some people let their guard down." said Alex

"Yeah, but stalking victims vary their routes home. They enter and exit through different doors, they wear disguises. They don't talk to anyone in their driveway. They hardly talk to anyone at all. They're... they're terrorized." said Spencer

"Okay, so maybe they were followed, Reid. I mean, bottom line is the unsub escalated. The first male was abducted alone, the second was with his girlfriend." said Morgan

"Well, what do we know about her?" asked JJ

"Connie was in her 30s, baked cakes for a living, she never had a run-in with the law." said Alex

"Assuming he kept her, what's the reason?" asked Rossi

"She's a necessity. Somehow she fits into his fantasy." said Alex

"And so far, that need may be what's keeping her alive." said Hotch

"So what we know is that we have an unsub with a fantasy or a deep desire that requires the man to look a specific way." said Morgan

"Since he rejected Justin so quickly, he's probably looking for a replacement as we speak." said Spencer

* * *

Spencer was at the ME's office with Rossi, and Dr. Glenn looked at Spencer and Rossi.

"I've been getting lame GSWs, a few bus crash victims, but hanging? This is fun. Think it was sexual?" asked Dr. Glenn

"Not in the traditional sense." said Rossi

"Well, look. There are numerous ligature marks on the neck, indicating he was hung multiple times. The ones without abrasions were probably made by something soft, like fabric." said Dr. Glenn

"Any idea how long it went on for?" asked Spencer

"Based on the different varying coloration of the bruising, I'd say about 12 hours. This ligature mark with the abrasion is the final one. There's an inverted "V" in the back. He was hung with a leather strap or belt, which is what killed him. Oh, we also found ketamine in his system." said Dr. Glenn as Spencer walked over to the X-rays and took them down so he could look at them

"Well, ketamine acts quickly. So he must have used a ruse to get close to our victim." said Rossi

"The bones were perfectly disjointed." said Spencer

"Could have dislocated from the fall after hanging or when he shoved him in the box." said Rossi

"Well, actually, the bones were dislocated antemortem." said Dr. Glenn as two people wheeled in another body "Oh. Goody. Overtime." smiled Dr. Glenn

"Can you check to see if the bones were dislocated in the same way?" asked Spencer

Dr. Glenn walked over to the body and started examining the body.

"Ah. Yep. Same way. This guy's sicker than my last girlfriend." said Dr. Glenn

"The question is, why is he doing this?" asked Rossi as he looked at Spencer

* * *

Spencer looked at Hotch and Rossi.

"Medieval torturing techniques have a long, dense history. Skinning someone alive was commonplace. Placing someone's hand in boiling water happened almost daily in the church. From the way these joints were disarticulated, it appears as though we're dealing with either drawing and quartering or the rack. The rack was the most prevalent way to disarticulate the human body. If our unsub's using it, he's beyond maniacal, he's a sadist." said Spencer

At that moment Hotch called Garcia.

"Garcia at your service." said Garcia through the phone

"Can you find anyone in the area that might sell or rent medieval torture equipment?" asked Hotch

"Besides a friend of mine in knitting group?" asked Garcia

"Try S M suppliers. We're looking for a stretching rack." said Rossi

"Spanking the keys as we speak. Don't worry, they like it. Okay, I have cross-checked stretching equipment with S M equipment and I found something that stretches something, but I don't think it's the something we're looking for." said Garcia

"Maybe he made his own." said Spencer as Morgan came into the room

"That would be pretty elaborate." said Rossi

"I'm gonna keep looking. I'll get back to you soon." said Garcia

"Thanks." said Hotch as he hung up

Morgan looked at Spencer, Rossi, and Hotch.

"I just went to the latest abductee's home. Not only did our unsub use fake blood as some kind of ruse, but the front porch security cameras were also disconnected right before the abduction." said Morgan

"So he cased the site." said Rossi

"It's residential streets, a lot of people coming and going. That's high-risk behavior." said Morgan

"Maybe the unsub didn't care. He needed him and it was worth the risk." said Hotch

* * *

Spencer pulled on his latex free gloves before unwrapping the box that contained the body of the latest victim.

"The box is wrapped this time." said Spencer

"What is this, a gift?" asked Detective Martin

Spencer uncovered the body some more and closed his eyes when he noticed that the victim's eyes were still open.

"His natural hair color is black and still he kills him." said Hotch

Spencer removed some of the paper that covered the body so he, Hotch, and Detective Martin can look at the body some more.

"And, look, no neck wounds." said Hotch

"Then how did he die?" asked Detective Martin

"Maybe he bled out." said Hotch

"Or he fell from something." said Spencer as his gaze landed on the victim's hands "Look at his hands. He bored holes through the hands that ripped, and then he moved them to the wrist." said Spencer

"Reid, check the feet." said Hotch

Spencer followed Hotch's instructions and took a peek.

"Stigmata?" asked Spencer

"Hanging and then crucifixion." said Hotch

"So this has to do with religious beliefs." said Detective Martin

"Maybe he's found a new way to torture them?" asked Spencer

"And still he's keeping Connie. Something about her is working." said Hotch

Spencer looked at the clothes that their latest victim was wearing, and his eidetic memory quickly flashed back to the crime scene photos.

"Hotch, look. These are the exact same jeans that victim number two was wearing. Look at the trim." said Spencer as he took a peek at the collar of the shirt the victim was wearing "Bonner Brothers. Is that a local store?" asked Spencer as he made eye contact with Detective Martin

"About 5 miles. Half thrift store, half yuppie mart." said Detective Martin

"I'll have JJ and Morgan check it out after we give the profile." said Hotch

Spencer looked at Hotch.

"May I call my wife on the way back to the station?" asked Spencer before continuing "It's Olivia's lunchtime, and she checks Piper out of the campus daycare so she can spend some more time with Piper while eating lunch." said Spencer

"Go ahead Reid." said Hotch

Detective Martin looked at Spencer.

"How old is your daughter?" asked Detective Martin

"Piper's five and a half months old, and my wife is 11 weeks pregnant with our second child." said Spencer as he pulled out his phone and showed Detective Martin his latest photo of Piper

"She's a cutie." said Detective Martin

"My wife says that Piper has me wrapped around her little finger." said Spencer

"Reid, your daughter has the whole BAU wrapped around her finger, but she'd rather be held by you than anyone else when you're near her." said Hotch

A few minutes later Spencer got into the passenger seat of the SUV, pulled out his phone and dialed his favorite girl's number as Hotch started driving.

"I was just about to call you since someone wanted to hear your voice." said Olivia

Spencer chuckled.

"Please put her on." said Spencer

At that moment Spencer heard Olivia turn on the speaker of her phone.

"Daddy's on the phone." said Olivia as she walked over to the little play area that she set up for her daughter

"Dada!" exclaimed Piper

Spencer's eyes lit up at the sound of his little girl's voice.

"Hey there, Piper." said Spencer

At that moment Piper started babbling away while saying words that she mastered.

"You telling me about what you have done so for today?" asked Spencer

"Ya." said Piper

At that moment Olivia looked at her clock before scooping Piper off the floor.

"Say bye to daddy since you have to go back to Julia, and I have a class to teach." said Olivia

"Buh Dada." said Piper

"Bye bye Piper." said Spencer

At that moment Olivia turned off the speaker.

"Call me later if you have a chance?" asked Olivia

"I will try, but I have to get going too Livy." said Spencer

"Love you, and please stay safe." said Olivia

"I promise to stay safe, and I love you too." said Spencer as he hung up

* * *

"Due to the sophisticated nature of the crimes, we believe that we're looking for a male unsub who's at least 30, who's torturing his victims. We think that's he's trying to perfect a delusion at which he's failed 3 times." said Hotch

"As with most fantasy based crimes, the reality never lives up to the perfection of what the unsub envisions." said Rossi

"This fantasy involves the torture and stretching of his victims, including men that have had their hair dyed black by the unsub." said Alex

"Before he kills them, our unsub fixes their hair and paints their nails." said Spencer

"He's now escalated to crucifying his latest victim, driving holes into his hands and feet." said Morgan

"Historically, crucifixion is a sentence reserved for serious crimes." said Alex

"Which makes us believe that somewhere in the unsub's past, he feels his victims have wronged him, so now he's performing some sort of inquisition." said Morgan

"Whether he's getting his victims to repent or adhere to certain religious beliefs, he is hanging them as though they were victims of the religious tribunals of the 1100s." said JJ

"But something in his fantasy is not working, because he keeps discarding the men." said Hotch

"He kills them and then ritualistically places them in a box with tissue paper." said Morgan

"Which is odd, as his initial behavior dehumanizes them. That means he values those victims more when they're dead." said Rossi

"So far we believe he has spared the one woman that he still has in captivity. She's either witnessing these horrors or being forced to participate in them." said Spencer

"Crucifixion is sadistic, and watching it is the ultimate torture." said Alex

"Consequently, we believe that the killings will continue to escalate as the unsub strives to achieve his perfection. Thank you." said Hotch

* * *

Spencer walked over to Detective Martin.

"Is there an empty room that I could work on my geographical profile in?" asked Spencer

"Right over there." said Detective Martin as he pointed towards the room that Spencer could use

"Thanks." said Spencer as he gathered the materials he needed and a few minutes later he was working on his geographical profile while listening to classical music

* * *

Spencer was going through files when Alex came into the room he was working in.

"There you are." said Alex, causing Spencer to look up as he removed his ear buds "How's the geographical profiling going? And why are you doing it in here?"

"It's going good. I'm just having trouble concentrating out there, is all, so I came in here." said Spencer

"Hmm. So what's with you today? Is this about the child that you and Olivia are expecting or the doctor appointment you had yesterday morning that caused you to show up late?" asked Alex

"I am always thinking about my unborn child, but I am thinking about the tonsillectomy that I scheduled for the 17th." said Spencer

Alex looked at the doorway before sitting across from Spencer.

"A tonsillectomy is a very common procedure, and just think about all the jello and frozen yogurt you will get to eat after the surgery." said Alex

Spencer smiled softly at Alex.

"Olivia is planning on stocking up on jello since I go through it pretty quickly at home." said Spencer

"Olivia has griped to me about your jello intake." said Alex

"There was a time that she was craving jello while she was pregnant with Piper, and she was upset that I finished the last of it causing me to run to the store and buy more jello." said Spencer

"I remember her telling me about that." said Alex before continuing "Everything will be alright after you have that tonsillectomy because you won't be dealing with any more cases of strep throat, Spencer."

"Olivia had a tonsillectomy when she was 15." said Spencer

"So back to expecting your second child, how are you dealing with the news that by next June you will be a father to two beautiful children?" asked Alex

"I can't believe that Olivia is almost done with the first trimester, and I wonder how Piper will deal with not being an only child anymore." said Spencer

"Piper will be a great big sister, and you are already a great father." said Alex

"Olivia and I both are both only children, so how did you deal with having siblings?" asked Spencer as he thought back to when Alex told him that she has a brother who lives in Kansas and a brother who died in an armed robbery

"I am glad that I had two brothers instead of a sister since I witnessed my brothers bicker a lot, even though there were times I bickered along with them." said Alex

Spencer looked at Alex.

"We should probably get back to Hotch and Rossi." said Spencer

"We probably should since Hotch had me come find you." said Alex

At that moment Spencer and Alex got up and found Hotch and Rossi by the coffee maker, and they heard Rossi talking.

"Not only were there ligature marks on victim 3's arms, but his jaw was dislocated as well." said Rossi

"His jaw?" asked Spencer

"Why would you hang someone, dislocate their joints and their jaw, and then crucify them?" said Hotch

At that moment Spencer's mind started racing as he watched a newton's cradle which Rossi noticed.

"I can see your wheels turning. Don't hold back." said Rossi

"Maybe he's dislocating their body parts so he can manipulate them himself." said Spencer

"For what purpose?" asked Alex

"Think about it for a second. If you add the dislocation, the holes in the hands, the strange clothing, and the odd makeup, I know this sounds crazy, but what if our unsub is turning his victims into human marionettes?" asked Spencer

"Explain please." said Hotch

"The Greeks translated "puppets" as "neurospasta," which literally means string-pulling. And throughout time they've been used as a method to tell kings a story so that the subjects didn't have to speak directly to him." said Spencer

"It was a way to hear the truth." said Rossi

"It seems like this unsub's doing something similar, using his puppets to tell his story." said Hotch

"He can't be controlling them by hand." said Alex

"No, he probably built some sort of contraption." said Hotch

"And he's trying to lift his victims." said Spencer

"That could explain why they discarded the men. They were too heavy." said Rossi as he read a file

"What do you see?" asked Hotch

"Well, I'm checking the licenses of our victims, and each one weighed less than the previous one." said Rossi

"You know, if he's making human marionettes, that also explains why he's stuffing his victims into boxes. It's like a sick toy chest." said Spencer as he thought that he could never look at Piper's toy chests the same way again since he will always picture the victims in the box

"So he is dehumanizing them, but he's just not killing them. He's turning them into his playthings." said Hotch

At that moment Detective Martin approached Spencer, Alex, Hotch, and Rossi.

"A father and son were just abducted from a parking lot at gunpoint. A witness saw a man force them into a car." said Detective Martin

"Dave, you and Blake go check it out. I'll have Garcia start looking for theater owners and puppeteers in the area." said Hotch as he pulled out his cellphone, called Garcia and told her what to find

"Okay, there are 5 puppeteers/ marionetters in the area." said Garcia

"Any of them recently released from prison?" asked Hotch

"No. They're working kids' parties and at hospitals." said Garcia

"What about someone who had a traumatic incident with a brunette girl?" asked Spencer

"That's kind of specific." said Garcia as she got a call from Morgan "Hold on, let me patch in Morgan and JJ."

"Hey, we're at the clothing store. We got the names of 5 people who left numerous messages for Tucker this week." said Morgan

"Give them to me." said Garcia

"All right, we got Sam Holby, Terrence Crammer, Vincent Lang, Matt Parker, and a Jill Olger." listed Morgan

"And no, and I'm cross-checking those with Hotch's list of puppeteers. And no." said Garcia

"So I've got 8 more names, some written on pads in the back, others are frequent customers." said JJ

"Penelope, we need you to trace the phone lines here, too, see if this guy Tucker called the unsub today." said Morgan

A few minutes after Garcia hung up, Spencer's phone vibrated, and he saw a picture message from Olivia.

JULIA WAS FEEDING PIPER SOME PUREED CARROTS, AND HERE IS A PICTURE SHE SENT ME. ~ OR

Spencer ended up chuckling at the picture of his daughter covered in baby food.

"What's so funny?" asked Hotch

"Check out this picture of your goddaughter." said Spencer as he passed his phone to Hotch

Hotch's lips twitched into a slight smile at the sight of his goddaughter covered in baby food.

"I heard that Piper cooperates with you when you feed her." said Hotch

"Yeah she does." said Spencer

At that moment Rossi and Alex entered the station and made their way towards Hotch and Spencer.

"We just came from the parking lot where the father and son were abducted. It looks like the unsub might be on the surveillance camera. Witness said there was a blue van." said Rossi as Hotch pulled his cellphone out and called Garcia

"Garcia." said Hotch

"Yes, sir." said Garcia

"Were there any incidents involving a father and son in the puppeteers' histories that you found?" asked Hotch

"Father and son. Okay. No, it's coming up empty." said Garcia

"What about 20 or 30 years ago?" asked Rossi

Garcia did some typing.

"Well, there was a pretty famous puppeteer in the late fifties named Alex Rain. He died in a robbery. His son witnessed it." said Garcia

"What was the son's name?" asked Alex

"Adam Rain. Mom died 10 years ago." said Garcia

"Cross-check Adam's name with the names of the patrons in the clothing store." instructed Spencer

"Oh, I got a big old hit. Okay, Mr. Rain called Tucker, the owner, 40 times in the last month. And check this. His father was most well-known for a pair of puppets named Mitch and Steph. The male one had dark black hair, the female was a redhead." said Garcia

"You have an address?" asked Rossi

"Last known was a building on Pine Street, that used to be his father's theater." said Garcia

"Come on, Dave." said Hotch

"And guess what he drives." said Garcia

"A blue van. Call us back in the car." said Hotch

As Spencer watched Hotch and Rossi leave, Alex looked at Spencer.

"Your wife and daughter should be home right now, and I know that you brought your laptop." said Alex

Spencer smiled sheepishly at Alex as he pulled out his laptop before sending Olivia a text message.

I HAVE SOME TIME TO SKYPE RIGHT NOW, BECAUSE A FEW TEAMMATES ARE ARRESTING THE UNSUB RIGHT NOW AND I AM AT THE STATION. ~ SR

A minute later Spencer's phone vibrated indicating a text message.

PIPER AND I ARE BY MY LAPTOP RIGHT NOW, AND PIPER IS EXCITED TO SEE YOU SINCE SHE SQUEALED DADA. ~ OR

A minute later Spencer grinned when he saw the faces of his two girls, and shook his head when he saw Piper chewing on her fist.

"Please stop chewing on your fist, and maybe mommy can get you something else to chew on." said Spencer

Piper looked up and grinned when she saw her daddy. She quickly removed her fist from her mouth as her mommy passed her a cloth to chew on.

"Daddy!" exclaimed Piper

"How's my little girl doing?" asked Spencer as he noticed Alex smiling at him from where she was sitting

"Miss ya Daddy." said Piper

"I miss you too Piper." said Spencer

Olivia looked at her husband.

"Where are the others?" asked Olivia as she remembered the text message from Spencer

"Alex is here with me right now, and JJ and Morgan are heading back from a lead." said Spencer

"Hi there, Alex." said Olivia

At that moment Alex came over and stood by Spencer.

"How is it going Olivia?" asked Alex

"I am still cursing Spencer for getting me pregnant again." said Olivia

Alex laughed before Piper let out a yawn, and Olivia looked at Spencer and Alex.

"I better get Piper into her crib, and I will talk to you later Spencer." said Olivia

Spencer looked at his daughter.

"I love you, Piper Ann." said Spencer

"Luv ya Daddy." said Piper

At that moment Spencer shut down his laptop and Alex looked at Spencer.

"You must enjoy it when you hear Piper say those three words to you." said Alex

"Even though she says ya as her way to say yes and you, I know what she is saying. But I am thinking that since she started saying Daddy instead of Dada, her language is going to improve the more she is read to." said Spencer

"Talking to her helps her with language development too." said Alex

"I know." said Spencer

* * *

Spencer looked at his teammates after everyone was got comfortable for the flight home.

"I guess I should tell you guys how that doctor appointment went." said Spencer

"You should, kid." said Morgan as he connected Garcia on the laptop so she could listen in

"What's up?" asked Garcia

"Reid is telling us about his doctor appointment." said Morgan

"How did it go. I had to restrain myself from hacking into your medical records and calling Olivia." said Garcia

Everyone shook their heads at Garcia's antics.

"I am scheduled for a tonsillectomy on the 17th." said Spencer

"How long are you going to be on sick leave for?" asked Garcia

"I will be back at work on the 2nd after having my post operation appointment on the 30th." said Spencer

"It's a good thing that you're having that surgery done Spence. Henry has gotten upset about you having to miss brunch due to having frequent cases of strep throat." said JJ

"I didn't want to get Henry sick. I had to stay away from Piper with the cases of strep throat I had after her birth." said Spencer

Hotch looked at Spencer.

"Your medical leave got approved, and I expect a note from your doctor to clear you for traveling and field work." said Hotch

JJ, Morgan, Garcia, and Rossi started laughing since they remembered the time that Spencer lied to Hotch.

Hotch looked at Morgan, JJ, Alex, Rossi, and Garcia.

"And we still have to be at the office on the 17th, but knowing Olivia she will keep us updated." said Hotch

"It's only going to be same day surgery, so I will be going home that night. And if I lose my voice for a few days, I can text with you guys if Olivia lets me near my cellphone." said Spencer

"So I won't get to spruce up your hospital room?" asked Garcia

"I'm afraid not, but I hope that all of you guys bring some jello to my house while making sure that Morgan doesn't eat it since he has done that quite a bit in the past." said Spencer

Garcia looked at Morgan.

"You are going to be leaving Boy Wonder's jello alone Hot Stuff, or I will ask your mom to send me embarrassing photos of you from when you were a child." said Garcia

"During the last case in Chicago, Sarah did tell me some funny stories about Morgan's childhood that you would enjoy Penelope." smirked Spencer

"Please tell me later." said Garcia

"Hey." protested Morgan as everyone but him started laughing

* * *

"Have a nice night guys." said Spencer as he pulled on his jacket and grabbed his bags

"Where are you going?" asked Morgan

"Olivia and I are taking Piper to the mall to have her pictures taken with Santa." said Spencer

"I want a copy." said Garcia

"I will make sure that you all get copies, and Olivia and I are planning on having an ultrasound photo be held by Santa too. We are also picking up those Christmas cards/baby announcements." said Spencer as he started towards the elevators

* * *

Spencer stood in line with Piper in his arms while Olivia stood by him, and he looked at his wife.

"Do I really have to be in the picture?" asked Spencer

"Yes you do or you will be sleeping on the couch tonight." said Olivia

"Threat duly noted." said Spencer

"You got that right." said Olivia as they stepped forward a bit

Five minutes later Piper was sitting on Santa's lap with Santa holding an ultrasound photo with Spencer and Olivia kneeling in front of Santa and Piper grinning for the picture.


	19. Perennials

Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds, but I do own Olivia, Piper, and Baby Reid.

 _A/N: Shout out Snowdrop65, Hippichic81, OhSnapItsMadison, Mrs. JaganshiReidofHufflepuff, and Chermayne for reviewing chapter 18._

 _Sorry about the delay for this chapter. This is the last chapter that deals with an episode for the next few chapters since I have to write the chapter that deals with Spencer getting a tonsillectomy and Christmas._

* * *

Spencer was eating breakfast near Piper's high chair while watching his daughter put a Cheerio into her mouth.

"Is that Cheerio yummy?" asked Spencer

Piper held a Cheerio out to her daddy.

"No thank you, but it was nice of you to want to share with me." said Spencer as he took another bite of his omelet

Piper happily placed the Cheerio into her mouth as Olivia grabbed a notepad and started doing zeta functions as she ate her breakfast.

"What are you doing?" asked Spencer

"I am doing zeta functions." said Olivia

Spencer flashed his wife a grin.

"I am thinking about noodling Rieman's hypothesis again." said Spencer

"That's the one I am noodling right now. How about you work on it and we can compare our work later." said Olivia

"You're on." grinned Spencer as he shook hands with his wife

At that moment Piper swiped her small bowl of Cheerios onto the floor to gain her mommy and daddy's attention and both parents shook their heads as Einstein started eating the Cheerios.

"You don't regret conceiving our second child this soon?" asked Olivia as she rested her hands on her 12 week pregnant belly

"Nope, but at least you have your beginning of the second trimester ultrasound next week." said Spencer as he picked up the now empty bowl

"You still coming along, despite having a tonsillectomy next Monday?" asked Olivia

"Going with you means I won't be going stir crazy at home." said Spencer as he placed his breakfast plate in the sink before looking at Piper "Daddy has to go to work." said Spencer as he kissed his daughter's light brown curls

"Buh Daddy." said Piper

"Call me if you get a case." said Olivia as she watched her husband put on his navy blue pea coat

"I promise." said Spencer as he slung his messenger bag and go bag over his shoulder and grabbed his car keys

* * *

Spencer was noodling Rieman's hypothesis when he realized that Alex was standing over him watching him write, causing him to make eye contact with her.

"I always wondered what Spencer Reid's grocery list looked like before he came off the market of most eligible bachelors of Washington DC." said Alex as she thought about the grocery shopping she helped Olivia with when Olivia was pregnant with Piper

Spencer shook his head at Alex's comment, knowing that she's happy he has Olivia in his life.

"It's actually Rieman's hypothesis." said Spencer

"Which is?" asked Alex

"It's a mathematical conjecture from the 19th century that states that the Riemann zeta function zeroes all lie on the critical line." said Spencer

"Yeah, I get it." said Alex as she thought about the small lectures Olivia gave her about zeta functions

"Olivia and I both noodle it from time to time, and we are planning on comparing results later. It sort of helps me unwind, you know?" said Spencer as he thought about his upcoming tonsillectomy, his unborn child, and Christmas that is fast approaching

Alex sat down on the edge of Spencer's desk.

"Well, since were on the subject of unwinding, how did that photo with Santa go?" asked Alex

Spencer grinned as he pulled out the photo that he framed and passed it to Alex.

"That's an adorable picture." said Alex as she looked at the grinning, proud parents who were kneeling by a grinning Santa with Piper sitting on his lap while holding an ultrasound photo

"You should be expecting a Christmas card soon, and I was hoping that you can send a copy to James." said Spencer

"He always enjoys it when I send him pictures of Piper, but I haven't told him about the baby yet." said Alex

"I am nervous about next Monday though." said Spencer

"There's nothing to be nervous about, and everyone else doesn't want you to suffer from frequent cases of strep throat." said Alex

Spencer looked up towards the conference room, and noticed that Garcia was in there prepping everything.

"Round table's about to start. We should probably get going." said Spencer as he got off his chair to head over to the conference room

A minute later Spencer and Alex were sitting down with the rest of their teammates.

"What have we got?" asked Rossi

"Nothing good. Okay, anyone who's wandered through a museum in Italy knows that a chisel and a hammer in the right hands can be a beautiful thing. But Michelangelo this is not, my friends. Okay, Floressa, aka Nina Skinner, was found yesterday, murdered on the grounds of Church of the First Dawn, in Alabama. Two days earlier, 100 miles away, Charlie Clayton was taken from his home in Gulfport, Mississippi, he was brought to the woods, he was also murdered. Chisels to the brain. And a lot of creepy-crawlers." said Garcia

"Forensics?" asked Morgan

"Mm-mm. Neither crime scene yielded much results because of too many bugs and critters." said Garcia

"The choice and placement of the chisel is very specific." said Hotch

"Maybe the unsub symbolically is destroying the thoughts or memories of the victims." said Rossi

"It looks like they were facedown when the chisel went in. Remorse?" asked Morgan

"Could be the killer knew the victims, didn't want to see their faces when he was killing them." said JJ

"Was there a connection between Clayton and Floressa?" asked Spencer

"Nothing's been found yet." said Garcia

"So right now, method of execution and regional proximity are the only two things linking them." said Rossi

"It could be a spree killer on the move." said Alex

"A spree killer who's careful and meticulous and covers his tracks." said JJ

"We've got a mobile unsub with a significant head start. We can't afford to be playing catch-up. Wheels up in 30." said Hotch

Spencer sat down at his desk and dialed Olivia's number.

"Where are you heading off to this time?" asked Olivia

"Alabama." said Spencer

Olivia looked at her clock.

"Well I have class in 10 minutes so I have to get going. Please stay safe, and I love you." said Olivia

"I will stay safe, and I love you too. Please give Piper a kiss, and tell her that it's from her daddy and I will give you one when I get home." said Spencer before hanging up

* * *

Spencer was standing at the counter in the small kitchenette when briefing started.

"These first two victims couldn't be more different. Ethnicity, gender, age, social and economic background." said Morgan

"Both were born and raised in the deep south. But that's it." said JJ

"Garcia, you said that the last victim, Floressa, changed her name?" asked Spencer as he sat down by Hotch

"Yeah. Her name was Nina Skinner and she changed it when she joined Church of the First Dawn 6 years ago." said Garcia

"What do we know about this church? Is it a legitimate religion?" asked Alex

"Ah, it's more like religious adjacent. It appears to be a hodgepodge of a bunch of different religious beliefs plucked from here and there." said Garcia

"And Floressa lived on the grounds of the church?" asked Rossi

"Yes. She and 15 other women." said Garcia

"It sounds like a convent." said Alex

"You know, it sort of is. The residents had to take the same kinds of vows as nuns. Celibacy, poverty, days spent in quiet contemplation. I would not be a good candidate for admission, in other words." said Garcia, causing JJ and a few others to smile

"Garcia, did the compound allow outsiders?" asked Hotch

"Not usually, but it appears that once or twice a year they do let in non-members for like a week-long retreat." said Garcia

"Are these non-members men and women?" asked Morgan

"Apparently so." said Garcia

"Garcia, compile a list of guests for these retreats for the last year, please." said Hotch

"Will do." said Garcia as she started typing

"It says here that the first victim, Charlie Clayton, was a Seventh Day Adventist. Could this be someone harboring a grudge against religion?" asked Spencer

"Or the opposite. Both victims gravitated toward non-mainstream faiths. This could be a zealot wanting to punish those who deviate from strict orthodox beliefs." said Rossi

"Blake, you and Reid go see the medical examiner. Morgan and Rossi, drive to Mississippi and see what you can find out about the first victim. JJ and I will go to the compound and see where Floressa was killed." said Hotch

* * *

Spencer and Alex were in the ME's office, and Dr. Chapman was leaning towards Floressa's head.

"Chisel severed the brain stem. Clean, quick, right on the money. Death was instantaneous." said Dr. Chapman

"Were there any drugs in her system?" asked Spencer

"Nope. Tox screen was clean." said Dr. Chapman

"Hmm. Yet she seemed totally compliant. To control her, the unsub must have been armed." said Alex

"Any evidence of torture or sexual abuse?" asked Spencer

"None. Except for the chisel in her head, the victim was in tip-top shape. Did find some wood residue in the teeth, back molars, both sides of the mouth." said Dr. Chapman

"Killer might have somehow used the stick as a gag?" asked Alex

Spencer who was reading a clipboard, spoke up.

"It says here there was excessive insect infestation?" asked Spencer

"Sure was. And the wrong kind and in the wrong place." said Dr. Chapman as he walked into his office

"What do you mean?" asked Alex

Dr. Chapman came back into the room with a petri-dish and showed it to Spencer.

"The victim was only dead a few hours. There should have been adult flies and unhatched eggs, maybe. Certainly not third-instar larvae. And the maggots were all over the place. Flies don't lay their eggs around the food source, they squirt 'em out right there in the blood and guts. And icing on the cake I found a composite of animal hair mixed in with the larvae turns out to be skunk." said Dr. Chapman

"Were these inconsistencies present in the first victim, the one from Mississippi?" asked Spencer

"Don't know about the animal hair, but yeah. Gulfport M. E. found the exact same thing at his crime scene- the mass insect infestation not consistent with the early stage of decomposition." said Dr. Chapman

"This unsub is bringing fly larvae to the crime scene with him." said Spencer

* * *

Spencer was walking with Hotch and JJ, telling them about what the ME told him and Alex.

"A dead skunk? No. Why?" asked JJ

"Skunk hair was found in the larvae at Floressa's crime scene. Thought maybe there was one lying around nearby." said Spencer as he, Hotch, and JJ met up with Alex

"I would have sniffed it out had there been one." said JJ

"Here's the police sketch." said Hotch as he showed it to Spencer and JJ

"This guy's brazen. Chatting with the neighbor about the person he's on his way to murder." said JJ

"He's too calm to be on a spree. Something else is motivating him." said Hotch

"Okay, great. Thanks." said Alex as she got off the phone "Two for two. Gulfport M. E. Also found animal hair on the first victim's larvae, raccoon, and Charlie Clayton had wood residue in his teeth just like Floressa."

At that moment Spencer realized a connection with their current unsub as he thought back to his studies in the academy.

"Russell Smith." said Spencer

"Who?" asked

"A serial killer who was active in this part of the country from 1967 to 1987." said Spencer

"I remember. Smith was a sexual sadist who murdered 8 prostitutes before being killed in a police shootout." said Alex

"And he had his victims bite down on a block of wood before he killed them." said Hotch

* * *

Hotch looked at JJ, Spencer, and Alex.

"We are going to be heading to Pensacola, Florida since there's another victim with the same MO." said Hotch

At that moment Spencer pulled out his phone and sent Olivia a text.

NOW HEADING TO PENSACOLA, FLORIDA FOR THE SAME CASE. ~ SR

A minute later his cellphone rang, and Spencer saw that it was Olivia, causing him to look at Hotch.

"Go ahead Reid, since we are going to be heading to the jet." said Hotch

Spencer quickly answered the call.

"What's up?" asked Spencer

"I hope that this case doesn't cause you to miss your tonsillectomy on Monday." said Olivia

"Livy it's only the 12th right now, and knowing Hotch, if it seems like this case is going to take much longer he will send me back home so I make it in time for my tonsillectomy." said Spencer

"Good to know." said Olivia

"Well I have to get going since I have to head to the jet with Hotch, JJ, and Alex." said Spencer

"Tell them I said hi." said Olivia

"I will." said Spencer

"Love you." said Olivia

"Love you too." said Spencer as he hung up and Hotch looked at him

"You're right that I would send you home about two days before your surgery." said Hotch

* * *

Spencer turned himself around from the clear board he was looking at to make eye contact with Hotch and Sheriff Mitchell.

"So the unsub recognizes his victims, but he calls them by a different name. What's that about?" asked Spencer

"The guy's schizophrenic, maybe." said Sheriff Mitchell

"No, the killings are too organized and methodical. These people are probably surrogates." said Hotch

At that moment Rossi walked into the room.

"Garcia can't find any late-blooming Russell Smith wannabes out there. At least nobody on law enforcement radar." said Rossi

"You know, using a stick as a gag maybe have simply been a convenience at the first two crime scenes. The unsub was in the forest and they were handy. But he specifically brought a stick with him to the most recent crime scene. It's a ritual that mirrors Russell Smith's very closely. Also, there's something strange about the fly larvae that was found in the car." said Spencer

"You mean besides the fact that there was fly larvae in the car." said Rossi

"Well, that, and it was laid by Lucilia Mexicana flies." said Spencer

"Meaning what?" asked Sheriff Mitchell

"It's a species unique to the southwestern United States and the dry desert climates of Latin America. There's no way it would be found along the Gulf Coast unless it was brought here." said Spencer as he realized what was going on "I think I know what's going on."

"Enlighten us." said Rossi

"DNA from the maggot stomach crop at both crime scenes revealed not only skunk and raccoon meat, but traces of engine oil. I think this unsub is seeding his victims with aged maggots reared on animal remains." said Spencer

"Road kill." said Hotch

Rossi looked at Spencer.

"Feeling a bit homesick due to the fact that Lucilia Mexicana flies can be found in your hometown?" asked Rossi

"There are times that I do feel a wave of homesickness when it comes to the southwest, desert, or Nevada being mentioned, but Olivia and I have been talking about taking Piper to visit her grandmother next month." said Spencer

Detective Mitchell looked at Spencer.

"How many kids do you have Dr. Reid?" asked Detective Mitchell

"I have a daughter who will be six months old next Monday, and my wife is 12 weeks pregnant with my second child." answered Spencer as his cellphone vibrated, causing him to notice that he got a text message from Olivia

I AM DEALING WITH BABY BRAIN RIGHT NOW SINCE I ALMOST GAVE MY STUDENTS THE WRONG ASSIGNMENT SO YOU ARE SLEEPING ON THE COUCH WHEN YOU GET HOME. ~ OR

Spencer visibly gulped when he finished reading the text message, causing Hotch and Rossi to look at him.

"What's wrong Reid?" asked Hotch

"Olivia is making me sleep on the couch when I get home since she is dealing with baby brain which caused her to almost give her students the wrong assignment." said Spencer

Hotch's lips twitched into a slight smirk as Rossi chuckled.

"Sleeping on the couch is one of your wife's favorite threats." said Rossi

"I know." said Spencer

* * *

Reid was sitting on the table staring at the board while Hotch and Rossi were standing a couple of feet away from him.

"So far, the unsub's not trying hard to hide anything from us. What if December 11th actually is his birthday, like he told the waitress?" asked Rossi

"The unsub's in his mid- to late 20s. It means he was born between 1987 and 1992." said Spencer

"Reid, get Garcia on it. Tell her to narrow the search to those with a criminal background who live in the southwestern United States, someone with a history of vandalizing churches or religious shrines and someone who's also worked with or is at least familiar with insects." said Hotch

* * *

Spencer was walking with JJ and Alex, and he had his phone on speaker.

"Do you have any idea how many people are born on earth every day?" asked Garcia

Spencer quickly did the math.

"358, 197 approximately." said Spencer as he thought about when Piper was born

"I did not want the answer to that question. My point, even if narrowed way, way down, none of these fit the profile of our unsub. If December 11th really is his birthday, he's kept his nose clean so far." said Garcia

"The unsub told Brianna that there was no more important day in one's life than the day you were born. It has to somehow be part of his methodology." said JJ as she, Spencer, and Alex met up with Hotch

"How about the birthdays of Russell Smith's earlier victims, the 8 prostitutes?" asked Alex

"You could be right. Anniversary kills. Selecting victims who share the same birthdays as those who went before." said Spencer

Alex noticed Hotch looking at a file.

"What is it, Hotch?" asked Alex

"The new wound on the unsub's jaw, it wasn't there when he spoke to the neighbor in Gulfport, and there's no evidence that any of the victims put up resistance." said Hotch

"Well, it could be an accident. Accidents do happen." said JJ

"Or it was an interim victim we don't know about yet who did fight back." said Spencer

"Garcia, can you find a file photo of Russell Smith?" asked Hotch

"Yeah. Uh-oh. I'm sending these pictures to your monitors right now." said Garcia as she uploaded the photos on the monitor that was nearby

JJ, Spencer, Alex, and Hotch looked at the photos.

"Our unsub's wound was self-inflicted." said Spencer

"He's not trying to emulate Russell Smith." said Alex

"He's trying to turn himself into Russell Smith." said Hotch

* * *

Spencer stood with his teammates to give the profile.

"You've all been given copies of the sketch of the suspect. They need to be distributed to all law enforcement officials in the tri-state area." said Hotch

"All of the unsub's kills so far have been in different cities and different states." said JJ

"We don't have to worry about flushing him out. He's operating in the open with confidence, bordering on arrogance." said Rossi

"We don't know why, but he's been leaving large amounts of insects behind at his crime scenes." said Morgan

"Normally, that would be a forensic countermeasure, artificially accelerating infestation of the corpse." said Rossi

"Or a symbolic way to degrade and humiliate the victims." said Alex

"But these larvae are serving some other purpose to the unsub. It's like an obsession. They are an essential component to his kills." said Hotch

"We believe he's slowly turning himself into the image of Russell Smith, an Alabama serial killer who's been dead for nearly 25 years." said Morgan

"The unsub recently cut himself on the jaw to replicate a similar scar on Smith." said Spencer

"And he may continue to alter his appearance. Russell Smith had several distinctive scorpion tattoos. Parlors in the region should be notified to be on the lookout for customers requesting these tattoos." said JJ

"Curiously, the unsub seems to know precisely who he's looking for, but he refers to his victims by a different name." said Spencer

"Which means he's either delusional or he's using these victims as substitutes for someone else. Surrogates." said JJ

"The larvae he's depositing at the crime scenes are indigenous to the southwestern United States. So be on the lookout for suspicious vehicles with either Arizona, Nevada, or New Mexico license plates." said Rossi

"Russell Smith preyed exclusively on prostitutes and killed infrequently. 8 victims in a 20-year period." said Alex

"But this unsub is killing at a rate of one victim every other day, and he is targeting ordinary citizens. No one is safe." said Hotch

* * *

Spencer entered the conference room with Alex, Morgan, JJ, and Garcia where both Hotch and Rossi were waiting for them.

"Yesterday while we were in Florida, a body was found in the desert outside Las Cruces, New Mexico." said Hotch

"A man had his leg amputated and replaced with the leg of someone else." said Rossi

"And, as you know, last month a body was found in Dallas with its mouth sewn shut, like the silencer." said Hotch

"What looked then to be a possible one-time copycat now has to be examined in a different light." said Rossi

"Someone's out there mimicking the crimes we've solved." said Morgan

"That's how it looks." said Rossi

"This is now an active case, which we'll be investigating along with our other cases." said Hotch as he placed a file in front of his agents before looking at Reid "You are still having that tonsillectomy done on Monday, and you can come back on January 2nd."

At that moment Spencer opened his mouth to protest.

"No arguing since you need that tonsillectomy, and knowing Olivia she will use Piper against you to make sure you have that tonsillectomy done and stay away from here until your medical leave is over." said Hotch

Spencer sighed, knowing that Hotch won the argument.

Garcia looked at Spencer.

"Hotch is right Boy Wonder, and if you try to reschedule the surgery I will use my babies to cancel some of your magazine subscriptions." said Garcia

Hotch looked at the clock before looking at his agents.

"Now go home, and you guys don't have to show up until 9:30 tomorrow morning." said Hotch

At that moment Spencer's cellphone vibrated, and he read the text message from Olivia.

CAN YOU PICK ME UP SOME CHOCOLATE ICE CREAM ON YOUR WAY HOME? ~ OR

Spencer chuckled.

"What's so funny Spence?" asked JJ

"Olivia is craving chocolate ice cream right now, and she wants me to pick some up for her on my way home." said Spencer

* * *

Spencer entered the house, and Olivia looked at him from the couch.

"I kept dinner warm in the oven for you." said Olivia as she got off the couch

"Piper asleep?" asked Spencer as he hugged and kissed his wife

"Yes." said Olivia as she took the bag that contained the ice cream

"I am going to quickly sort through laundry and shower, so can you keep dinner warm for me a bit longer?" asked Spencer

"Yes I can, and I placed your pajamas in the first floor bathroom so you don't have to go upstairs." said Olivia

"You're a lifesaver Livy." said Spencer

"Now don't ever forget that I am your lifesaver." teased Olivia she placed the ice cream in the freezer

"I have an eidetic memory, so I can't forget." smirked Spencer as he pointed at his head before heading towards the laundry room with Einstein following him

"Smart-ass." muttered Olivia

* * *

Spencer was pushing his food around on his plate, and Olivia who was eating chocolate ice cream looked at her husband.

"What's wrong?" asked Olivia

"After landing, Alex, Morgan, JJ, Garcia, and I were called to the conference room and Hotch and Rossi told us that someone is mimicking the cases we have been solving the past few months. So my teammates and I are going to be working on the copycat killer case while working our usual case load." said Spencer

"I hope you are not rescheduling your tonsillectomy." said Olivia as she gave her husband a stern look

"Hotch forbade me from rescheduling since he wants me to focus on my health, and Garcia threatened to cancel my magazine subscriptions if I even reschedule my surgery." said Spencer

"I agree with him, and I am planning on using Piper against you to make you have that tonsillectomy and stay home after surgery while abducting your cellphone, laptop, and tablet that allow you to communicate with your teammates." said Olivia

"Hotch had a feeling you would use Piper against me." chuckled Spencer

"Can we talk about something else?" asked Olivia

"Am I still sleeping on the couch due to your pregnancy hormones making you almost give your students the wrong assignment?" asked Spencer

"I was only teasing you about sleeping on the couch earlier, but I am thinking that we don't need to have that church wedding next month since we have been busy with Piper, our jobs, and expecting our second child." said Olivia as she rubbed her 12 week pregnant belly

"Are you sure?" asked Spencer

"Yes." said Olivia

"I know that Penelope will be upset, but I think she will understand." said Spencer

"I just don't want your migraines to come back with all the stress you are dealing with here and at work." said Olivia

* * *

Spencer sat at the round table and looked at his teammates.

"Last night Olivia and I were talking about everything that is going on for the next couple of weeks, and we decided to cancel that church wedding due to everything that is going on with the copycat case, Olivia and I preparing for Baby Reid number two, me having surgery next Monday, and the recovery period I am going to be dealing with." said Spencer

Hotch, Rossi, Alex, Garcia, Morgan, and JJ exchanged looks and Garcia decided to say everyone's thoughts.

"We understand." said Garcia

"You wouldn't want your migraines to come back due to the stress you are dealing with here and at home." said Hotch

"Olivia said the same thing." said Spencer

"You married a wise woman." said Rossi

"I know." said Spencer with a slight smile on his face


	20. Christmas Party and a Tonsillectomy

_Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds_

* * *

 _A/N: Shout out to Fashionista7 for being the 100 reviewer of this story! And also a shout out to OhSnapItsMadison, Hippichic81, Mrs. JaganshiReidofHufflepuff, snowdrop65 for reviewing chapter 19.  
_

 _I can't believe that this story would have 100 reviews before posting this chapter. I always appreciate it when I receive a review for this story._

* * *

Spencer was packing up for the day and JJ looked at him.

"You and Olivia attending the FBI Christmas party on Saturday?" asked JJ

"We are, and luckily my dad will be watching Piper." said Spencer

"Isn't your dad flying in today?" asked Alex

"I am leaving to pick him up in 10 minutes, and I am supposed to take my unfinished consults to Hotch since he is forbidding me from taking them home." said Spencer

"It's important to get plenty of rest after surgery." said Alex

"I know that. Olivia can only take Monday off due to giving exams next Tuesday, and that's one of the huge reasons why my dad decided to fly out much sooner while getting to avoid full flights due to people traveling for Christmas." said Spencer as he pulled on his jacket before pulling his messenger bag over his shoulder, grabbing his unfinished consults, heading up to Hotch's office and knocking on the open door

Hotch looked up from his stack of consults and saw that Spencer was wearing his winter jacket, had his messenger bag over his shoulder, and had a stack of consults in his arm.

"You leaving now?" asked Hotch

"My dad's plane arrives in 90 minutes, and I want to avoid as much traffic as possible." said Spencer as he placed the files he didn't get to on Hotch's desk

"Are there any files in your messenger bag?" asked Hotch

"Nope." said Spencer

"Am I going to have to look in your messenger bag?" asked Hotch as he searched Reid's face for signs of lying

"I'm telling the truth, Hotch." said Spencer

"You should get going now, and I will see you at the Christmas party on Saturday." said Hotch

As Spencer walked down the stairs, Alex grabbed the wrapped present that she kept hidden from him.

"I was going to wait until Christmas, but I decided to give you this now. This will keep you occupied while recovering from your tonsillectomy." said Alex as she handed Spencer a wrapped gift

"May I open it?" asked Spencer

"Go ahead." said Alex

Spencer opened the gift and grinned at Alex when he saw a few crossword puzzle books.

"Thanks Alex." smiled Spencer

"You're welcome, but wait until Tuesday to start working on those puzzles." said Alex

"I promise." said Spencer

* * *

Spencer leaned against his car at the arrival gate of Dulles International Airport, and a few minutes later his father came out the doors. He walked over to William.

"How was your flight?" asked Spencer

"It was a long flight, but I kept myself busy with some books." said William

"During flights home from cases I would read, sleep, get post case paperwork done, or beat my teammates at poker or chess." said Spencer

William chuckled.

"Where are Olivia and Piper?" asked William

"Olivia and Piper are on their way home right now, and they are probably going to beat us there since I told Olivia that I will pick you up before picking up some Indian food since Olivia is craving it." said Spencer as he grabbed one of his father's bags and a few minutes later they were heading towards Spencer's favorite Indian restaurant

"I remember those days when it came to Diana's pregnancy cravings." said William

"This bag is a bit heavier." said Spencer

"That bag contains Christmas gifts, and more gifts will be arriving at your house next week." said William

"Did you really have to buy all these gifts?" asked Spencer

"Some of the gifts are from my coworkers. They always enjoy seeing new pictures of Piper, and they are happy that I am getting another grandchild." said William

"You should see the amount of gifts that are already under my Christmas tree, and there are supposed to be more added before Christmas Day." said Spencer

* * *

William looked at his son and daughter in law.

"How about you two get out of the house for a few hours while I bond with my granddaughter." said William

Olivia smiled at her husband.

"Should we go do some last minute Christmas shopping?" asked Olivia

"That would be a good idea." said Spencer as he thought about the necklace he has to pick up for Olivia "And tomorrow evening we have the FBI Christmas party, which is a black tie event."

Olivia smirked at her husband.

"You won't be seeing my dress until tomorrow, and I got us a hotel room." said Olivia as she thought about the plans she had for her husband

* * *

The jewelry store clerk looked at Spencer.

"I made sure there's room to add more stones in the future." said the clerk

"Thank you." said Spencer as he admired the necklace that currently contained three birthstones for the months of January, June, and October

"I always enjoy seeing fathers pick out jewelry like this for their wives." said the clerk

"As soon as my second child is born, I will be coming back to have another stone added." said Spencer

"Just bring in the receipt when your child is born." said the clerk as he walked away to help another customer and Spencer left the jewelry store to sit down at a nearby bench where he and Olivia agreed to meet

* * *

Spencer was buttoning his crisp white dress shirt as Olivia came out of the bathroom in a red dress that showed off her figure and 12 week pregnant baby bump while her hair was in a curly pony tail.

"Can you zip the back of my dress please?" asked Olivia

"Sure." said Spencer as he zipped his wife's dress "Can you please help me with my bow tie?" asked Spencer as he passed the tie to Olivia

"Sure." said Olivia and two minutes later Spencer's bow tie was tied "You look handsome in your tuxedo." said Olivia as she licked her lips at the thought of getting her husband out of his tuxedo when they get to their hotel room while thinking about the surprise she got for him at Victoria's Secret

Spencer gulped, knowing that he is in trouble later.

"We should probably say goodbye to Dad and Piper before leaving." said Spencer

* * *

Spencer and Olivia entered the ballroom that the Christmas party was being held in, and Olivia looked at Spencer when she saw his teammates.

"I see your teammates." said Olivia

"We should probably head over to them." said Spencer as he looped arms with his wife and a minute later they were standing by Spencer's teammates

"Hey guys." said Olivia

"You look great Olivia." said JJ as she hugged Olivia

"You're looking great too, JJ." smiled Olivia

"Your baby bump is starting to show a bit more." said JJ

"Next week I will be 13 weeks, and I am going to allow Spencer out of the house for my ultrasound." said Olivia

After a few minutes of talking with Spencer's teammates about Piper, Ashley Seaver came by with her boss Agent Swan.

"Hey guys." said Ashley before looking at Spencer "I have to see a picture of your little girl."

Spencer grinned at the mention of his daughter as he pulled his phone from his tuxedo jacket and found the photo that Olivia took earlier in the day.

"This photo was taken this morning." said Spencer

Andi and Ashley looked at the photo of Spencer with his daughter, noticing the similarities between the father and daughter.

"She has your eyes Reid." said Ashley as she thought back to the birth announcement that she was sent

"I'm happy that Piper has her father's curls." smiled Olivia as she ran her hand through Spencer's hair

"Isn't your daughter turning six months old soon?" asked Andi as she smiled at another photo of Piper

"She will be on Monday, and you two probably heard through the grapevine that next June there will be a new addition." said Spencer

Andi looked at Olivia and noticed the slight baby bump.

"How far along are you Mrs. Reid?" asked Andi

"On Monday I will be 13 weeks, and please call me Olivia." said Olivia

After another hour of talking, Spencer's phone vibrated and he saw a text from his dad.

PIPER'S CUTTING ANOTHER TOOTH RIGHT NOW, SO SHE'S PRETTY FUSSY. I APPLIED ORAJEL TO HER GUMS AND SHE'S HAPPILY CHEWING ON HER TEETHING RING. PIPER AND I WILL BE FINE TONIGHT, SO THERE'S NO NEED TO CANCEL YOUR PLANS FOR STAYING AT A HOTEL.~ WR

Olivia looked at her husband and noticed the look that Spencer shows when Piper is fussy.

"Is everything alright with Piper?" asked Olivia as she firmly rubbed her husband's shoulder

"Dad noticed that Piper is cutting another tooth." said Spencer as he sent his dad a reply

THANKS FOR LETTING ME KNOW.~ SR

"Did he apply Orajel and give her a teething ring?" asked Olivia

"He did." said Spencer

At that moment Katie Cole came over to Spencer and his teammates, and she turned her attention to Spencer.

"Thank you for the birth announcement." said Katie

"You're welcome." said Spencer

"May I see a picture of your little girl?" asked Katie

Spencer smiled at Katie as he pulled out his cellphone and found the picture that he showed Andi and Ashley an hour ago. Katie looked at the picture.

"She's beautiful, Dr. Reid." said Katie

"Thank you." said Spencer and Olivia in unison before they looked at each other and started laughing

"What's so funny?" asked Katie

Alex looked at Katie as Spencer and Olivia were still laughing as tears started to stream down Olivia's face making her realize that Olivia's pregnancy hormones were acting up again.

"Olivia has a PhD in mathematics like Spencer does and she refused to have her name hyphenated, but when it comes to publishing articles she will go by her maiden name." said Alex

"Ahh." said Katie

At that moment Spencer and Olivia sobered up.

"Never gets old." laughed Olivia as she tried to wipe the tears

Spencer grabbed a handkerchief from his pocket and handed it to Olivia.

"Damn hormones." muttered Olivia as she wiped her tears before glaring at her husband "You should be glad that I am wearing waterproof make up or you would be sleeping on the couch when we go home tomorrow."

Spencer gulped and took a step back as he raised his hands in a surrendering position, causing some laughter since Spencer is always the target of his wife's pregnancy hormones.

Katie looked at Olivia.

"How far along are you?" asked Katie

"Going on 13 weeks next week, and this little one will be Piper's Irish twin." said Olivia as she stroked her belly

* * *

Two days later William looked at his son who was dressed in flannel pajama pants and a sweat shirt.

"See you when you get home from the hospital." said William

"It's only same day surgery, and it will probably be after lunchtime when I can come home." said Spencer as he gave his daughter a kiss on the cheek "Daddy loves you." said Spencer

"Luv ya Daddy." said Piper as she attempted to copy her daddy's actions with kissing him on the cheek

Olivia looked at Piper.

"Mommy loves you." said Olivia

"Luv ya Mommy." said Piper as she snuggled into her grandfather's chest

"You be good for Grandpa." said Olivia

"Papa." said Piper as she smiled at her grandfather as she let out a yawn

"Let's get you back to bed, but how about you sleep with me." said William as he blew a raspberry on his granddaughter's belly, causing her to squeal with laughter before he carried her upstairs

* * *

"I am going to step out of the room so you can change into your hospital gown." said Olivia

Spencer removed his wedding band and passed it to Olivia.

"You hang on to this for safe keeping." said Spencer

"I was planning on it." said Olivia as she pocketed her husband's wedding band before leaving his room

A few minutes later Spencer had his hospital gown on, and he opened the door to let Olivia know that he is decent.

"You can come back in now." said Spencer

Olivia entered the room and looked at her husband after she shut the door.

"I was approached by your nurse, and she stated that as soon as you use the bathroom and get into bed, she is coming in to insert your IV." said Olivia

"Yes ma'am." said Spencer as he walked towards his private bathroom and Olivia let out a quiet wolf whistle at the show her husband was giving her

"I should have put on my robe." muttered Spencer as he shut the bathroom door

"You should have thought about it, but I enjoyed the brief show you gave me." giggled Olivia through the bathroom door

* * *

Dr. Snow entered Spencer's room and looked at Spencer who was fiddling with the blanket that was covering his lap.

"You ready Spencer?" asked Dr. Snow

"May I give my wife a kiss first?" asked Spencer

"Yes." said Dr. Snow

Spencer looked at his wife.

"I will see you when I wake up from surgery." said Spencer

Olivia removed her Spencer's glasses from his face.

"I will keep your glasses safe with your wedding band." said Olivia before kissing Spencer on the lips

After Spencer and Olivia broke apart, Spencer looked at his wife even though he couldn't see her at all.

"I love you Olivia." said Spencer as he gave Olivia's hand a strong squeeze

"Love you too, Spencer." said Olivia as she returned her husband's squeeze

Dr. Snow looked at Olivia.

"You have permission to stay in this room." said Dr. Snow

A few minutes later Spencer was being given general anesthesia and a few minutes later his world went dark, allowing Dr. Snow to start the tonsillectomy.

* * *

Two hours later Spencer started hearing beeping monitors and felt Olivia's hand in his IV free hand so he squeezed her hand to let her know that he's waking up.

"Spencer?" asked Olivia

Spencer slowly opened his eyes and gave his wife a smile despite not being able to see her at all.

"Hey there. You won't be able to talk for a few days so please don't try to use your voice." said Olivia softly as she stroked her husband's messy hair

Spencer looked at his wife and used sign language the best he could, despite the anesthesia still wearing off.

'Can you put my glasses on me, and could I have some water?' signed Spencer

Olivia grabbed Spencer's glasses off the small table by his hospital bed and helped her husband put them on before grabbing a cup of ice cubes that she asked the nurse for.

"Open up as wide as you can." said Olivia

Spencer opened his mouth the best he could despite the pain in the back of his throat, and sighed in relief as he felt the cold ice cube melt in his mouth.

'Thank you.' signed Spencer

"You're welcome Spencer." said Olivia as she pressed the call button to alert the nurse that her husband is awake before grabbing Spencer's wedding band out of her pocket "Let's put your wedding band back in it's right place." said Olivia as she slid Spencer's wedding band onto his left ring finger as his nurse entered the room

"I see that you're awake Spencer." said the nurse as she checked his vitals "How's the pain level?"

Olivia passed Spencer a small white board and a marker.

MY THROAT IS BARELY IN ANY PAIN.

Olivia looked at her husband and noticed the pain in his eyes.

"Better not lie to me, Spencer. One of the huge things I learned since becoming a mother is that a mother always knows." said Olivia

Nurse Abigail looked at Olivia.

"How many kids do you two have?" asked Nurse Abigail

"We have a six month old daughter who is currently at our house with Spencer's father, and I am 13 weeks pregnant with our second child." said Olivia as she rested her hands protectively on her belly

"I have a six year old daughter and a four year old son myself." said Nurse Abigail as she pulled out her phone and showed Olivia a picture of her two kids

Olivia pulled out her phone and showed Nurse Abigail a picture of Piper.

"My father in law sent me this photo while Spencer was in surgery." said Olivia

Abigail looked at the picture of Piper.

"She's beautiful, and has your husband's eyes." said Nurse Abigail as she jotted down Spencer's vitals and looked at Olivia "Your husband fell back asleep which is understandable since the anesthesia is still wearing off. Would you like me to get you something to eat?"

"I could go for some Jello, and please bring some Jello in for Spencer since it is one of his favorite hospital foods." said Olivia as she removed her husband's glasses from his face

"Jello is on the list of approved foods that he can eat when he wakes up." said Nurse Abigail before leaving the room to get her charge and his wife some Jello

* * *

Spencer glared at the wheelchair before writing on the small white board.

DO I REALLY HAVE TO RIDE IN THIS?

Olivia glared at her husband.

"You can't leave the hospital unless you ride in a wheelchair." said Olivia as she helped tie her husband's shoes and make sure that his jacket was buttoned before helping him off the bed and into the wheelchair

The volunteer that was going to escort Spencer and Olivia out of the hospital looked at Spencer and Olivia.

"You two have everything?" asked the escort

Spencer and Olivia nodded before Olivia looked at her husband.

"Ready to blow this Popsicle stand?" asked Olivia as she put on her jacket

Spencer quickly wrote on his small white board.

YES, BECAUSE I HATE HOSPITALS DUE TO THE LIGHTING.

Olivia laughed and grabbed her husband's hand as the escort wheeled Spencer's wheelchair out of the room and a few minutes later a Valet driver was getting Olivia's SUV for Spencer and Olivia.

* * *

William came outside as he saw his daughter in law pull into the driveway.

"Piper is napping in her playpen now, and I thought that you would need help with getting Spencer into the house." said William as he opened up the front passenger door for Spencer

At that moment Spencer unbuckled himself and worked on getting out of the SUV with William making sure that he doesn't lose his balance while wrapping an arm around his son's waist.

"We won't be hearing his voice for a few days." said Olivia as she grabbed her husband's messenger bag before shutting the passenger door

"At lease he can write notes, text messages, and use sign language." said William while guiding his son into the house before helping him remove his winter jacket

"Would you like to go upstairs or stay on the couch?" asked Olivia as she passed her husband a small white board and a marker

Spencer slowly wrote his answer.

UPSTAIRS, AND CAN PIPER SLEEP WITH ME?

Olivia quickly read the note and smiled at her sleeping daughter.

"Yes she can." said Olivia as she scooped her daughter from her play pen causing, Piper to wake up

"Mama?" asked a sleepy Piper

"Yes, mommy's home, and so is daddy." said Olivia

Piper became more wide awake at the mention of her favorite man and turned her attention to her daddy.

"Daddy!" exclaimed Piper

Spencer smiled softly at his daughter and gently kissed her cheek.

At that moment Piper started fussing when her daddy didn't say something to her.

"Your daddy can't talk for a few days, but we have some recordings that we can play so you can hear his voice." soothed Olivia as she rubbed her daughter's back "Are you still tired?" asked Olivia

"Seepy mommy." said Piper

"Want to sleep with Daddy since he is also going to bed?" asked Olivia

"Seep wit Daddy." said Piper

Olivia felt her daughter's diaper and noticed that it felt wet.

"You need a diaper change first." said Olivia

At that moment William helped his son walk upstairs as Olivia trailed behind with Piper in her arms, and a few minutes later Spencer was comfortable in bed with the humidifier running when Olivia entered the room with Piper in her arms.

"Piper has a clean diaper. Do you need anything before I go downstairs for a bit?" asked Olivia  
Spencer quickly wrote a note on his small white board.

I AM NOT TIRED YET, BUT I WOULD LIKE SOME WATER AND JELLO.

"As you wish." said Olivia

Spencer quickly erased what he wrote before writing a new note.

YOU SHOULD PROBABLY CALL MY TEAMMATES AND LET THEM KNOW THAT I AM HOME FROM THE HOSPITAL. AND PLEASE HAND PIPER OVER.

"How about I take a picture of you two and send it to your teammates?" asked Olivia as she passed Piper over to Spencer

Spencer got himself into a comfortable position with Piper in his arms, and Olivia took a picture a minute later.

"Either your dad or I will be up here with your Jello and water." said Olivia before leaving the room

* * *

Olivia entered the living room and saw William making himself a sandwich.

"Spencer isn't sleeping yet, but he requested Jello and water." said Olivia as she pulled Jello and a bottle of water out of the fridge

"I can take the Jello and water up to Spencer while you call his teammates." said William as he took the Jello and water from his daughter in law

"Thanks Dad." said Olivia

At that moment William headed upstairs as Olivia dialed Hotch's number.

* * *

Meanwhile at BAU headquarters, Morgan looked at the empty spot at the round table where Spencer would usually sit as he ate lunch with his teammates.

"I wonder how Reid is doing." said Morgan

"Olivia did promise that she would call after getting Spencer settled in at home." said JJ

At that moment Hotch's cellphone rang and he noticed that it was Olivia.

"It's Olivia." said Hotch as he answered his phone and put it on speaker "You're on speaker."

"Hey guys." said Olivia

"How's Spence doing?" asked JJ

"We just got home a half hour ago, and William is taking some Jello and water upstairs for him while Spencer cuddles with Piper in bed." said Olivia

"You better have taken some pictures." said Garcia

"I did take a picture of them." said Olivia

"Please send it to me." said Garcia

Olivia quickly sent the picture to Garcia.

"Aww." cooed Garcia

"Piper freaked out a bit when she didn't hear her daddy's voice, but everything is good since she's with him right now." said Olivia

At that moment they heard Spencer's father talking in the background and Olivia spoke up.

"Well I have to get going since my father in law is heating up some leftovers for me, and then I am going to join my two favorite people for a nap." said Olivia

"Let us know if you need anything." said JJ

"I think we have everything covered, and tomorrow William will get to take care of his son and granddaughter while I have to go to work due to exams this week." said Olivia

"When should Spence be up for visitors?" asked JJ

"How about on Thursday evening you guys, Will, Jack, and Henry come over for dinner. I have an ultrasound that morning, and knowing Spence he will probably figure out the gender." said Olivia as her cellphone vibrated indicating a text message "I have to go since Spencer is requesting my presence." said Olivia before hanging up

* * *

Five hours later Spencer was sitting up in bed reading a book when Olivia came into the room with a tray.

"I have some water, broth, and Jello for you. Plus you have some medication that you have to take to prevent nausea." said Olivia as she set the tray on Spencer's lap

'Thanks.' signed Spencer as he took the medication with some water

"Want me to feed you your dinner?" asked Olivia

Spencer nodded.

"Your dad is feeding Piper right now." said Olivia as she started to feed her husband

Spencer grabbed his white board and quickly wrote a note.

WOULD YOU ALLOW ME TO COME DOWNSTAIRS AND WATCH A MOVIE THIS EVENING?

Olivia smirked at her husband.

"You're staying in bed until tomorrow." said Olivia

Spencer quickly wrote a reply.

WHAT ABOUT US WATCHING A MOVIE TOGETHER ON MY TABLET?

Olivia shook her head.

"I think we can arrange that if you're still awake when I put Piper down for the night." said Olivia

* * *

Olivia answered the door when she saw that it was JJ and Garcia.

"I thought that everyone wasn't coming over until Thursday, barring a case?" asked Olivia as she allowed JJ and Garcia into the house "Spencer just fell asleep in the recliner, so please talk quietly." whispered Olivia

"We just wanted to check on Spence before driving down to Quantico." whispered JJ

"I brought some more frozen yogurt and Popsicles for Reid." whispered Garcia as she passed Olivia the bag

"Where's Piper?" whispered JJ

"William is giving her a bath right now." whispered Olivia as she showed JJ and Garcia the picture of a smiling Piper who was covered in oatmeal

"Who fed her?" whispered Garcia

"William did since Spencer got to eat his breakfast in bed this morning." whispered Olivia

Olivia looked at the clock.

"Well, I have to finish getting ready for work and talk to my father in law." whispered Olivia

"And we have to leave for work too." whispered JJ as she glanced at Garcia

* * *

Two days later Olivia looked at her husband who sat down at the dining room table.

"How are you feeling?" asked Olivia

Spencer quickly wrote his reply on his small white board and held it up.

PAIN IS PRETTY MUCH GONE EVEN THOUGH I CAN'T TALK YET. BUT I AM GLAD THAT YOU ARE ALLOWING ME OUT OF THIS PRISON SO I CAN ATTEND YOUR ULTRASOUND TODAY.

Olivia burst out laughing as tears streamed down her face as William chuckled at his son's response as he set scrambled eggs, pancakes, and a bottle of ensure in front of his son, who gave him a smile as a way to thank him for making his breakfast.

"I ate while you two got Piper and yourselves ready for the day, so how about you eat while I feed Piper her breakfast." said William

"You have been a godsend the past few days, William." said Olivia

"When you told me that you were only able to take Monday off due to exams happening this week, I knew that I had to fly out here sooner to help you guys out." said William as he started feeding his granddaughter her breakfast

Olivia looked at William Reid who was feeding his granddaughter her breakfast.

"Would you like to come along to my ultrasound?" asked Olivia

"Are you sure? I would be glad to watch Piper here while you two go to your doctor appointment." said William

Spencer quickly wrote a note.

GRANDPARENTS OF THE BABY ARE ALWAYS WELCOME. AND I AM PLANNING ON SEEING IF I CAN FIGURE OUT THE GENDER SINCE I FIGURED OUT THE GENDER BEFORE DR. CARTER COULD FIGURE IT OUT HERSELF.

"Fine, but I want to hold Piper the entire time." said William

Spencer quickly scrawled a note.

DEAL BECAUSE I HAVE TO HOLD OLIVIA'S HAND.

* * *

"I see that you brought your husband, father in law, and Piper this time." said Dr. Carter as she shook hands with William before looking at Piper and noticed that Piper's eye color is now like Spencer's

"You are getting big Piper, and you have your daddy's eyes." said Dr. Carter

Piper pointed at her daddy who was holding her mommy's hand.

"Daddy." said Piper before pointing at her Mommy who was laying on a bed "Mommy."

"What about me Piper?" asked William as he tickled his granddaughter's belly, causing her to giggle

"Papa." said Piper

"Can you say Jane?" asked Dr. Carter as she smiled at the baby girl who was showing signs of being a genius like her daddy

"Ane." said Piper before starting to chew on the ear of her teddy bear

"You got pretty close to getting my name right." smiled Dr. Carter

Dr. Carter looked at Spencer.

"You haven't said anything to me yet." said Dr. Carter

Spencer showed Dr. Carter the note he was working on prior to her entering the room.

ITS NICE TO SEE YOU AGAIN DR. CARTER, BUT I CAN'T TALK BECAUSE I JUST HAD A TONSILLECTOMY DONE ON MONDAY. BUT I AM HOPING THAT I WILL REGAIN MY VOICE A BIT TOMORROW.

Dr. Carter read the note.

"How are you feeling, Spencer?" asked Dr. Carter

Spencer quickly wrote a note.

I AM GLAD TO BE UP AND ABOUT. THE BEST PART ABOUT HAVING THE SURGERY DONE A FEW DAYS AGO IS THAT I AM ON SICK LEAVE UNTIL AFTER NEW YEARS.

Dr. Carter laughed.

"I agree with your assessment because you won't be missing Piper's first Christmas." said Dr. Carter before looking at Olivia "We should probably get started on your ultrasound Olivia." said Dr. Carter as a tech entered the room with the ultrasound equipment

Spencer instinctively grabbed Olivia's hand and squeezed it.

A short while later Spencer was looking at the monitor that showed his unborn child, and his lips curled up into a grin as he realized the gender of the baby before grabbing his small white board and marker and started writing what he saw.

"Have you figured out the gender yet?" asked Olivia

Spencer started writing on his small white board before showing it to Olivia.

IT SEEMS LIKE WE GOT OUR CHRISTMAS WISH BECAUSE WE ARE HAVING A BOY!

* * *

 _A/N: Reactions will be in the next chapter. And the BAU, Detective Will, Jack, and Henry will be in the next chapter so Spencer and Olivia can share the baby gender to Spencer's teammates._


	21. Its A Boy, Christmas, & Ringing in 2013

_Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds_

 _A/N: Shout out to tannerose5, Mrs. JaganshiReidofHufflepuff, OhSnapItsMadison, southernbeauty13, and Chermayne for reviewing chapter 20._

 _I decided that there would be a white Christmas in Washington DC in this chapter, due to the couple of inches of snow that fell on the ground from Winter Storm Caly (The snow storm was named Aaron where I live in Wisconsin) that affected the Midwest and I found out that another winter storm is on its way this weekend. So if any of you are going to be affected by the upcoming Winter Storm Decima (National snowstorm name while this upcoming snowstorm will be named Bailey where I live in Wisconsin) please drive safely and stay warm!_

 _With how Spencer and Olivia are going to reveal the gender in this chapter, I highly suggest that you look up Elephant Toothpaste gender reveal on You-Tube since the video is pretty cool._

 _This is the last chapter that takes place in the year of 2012, but the last part will take place in the beginning of 2013._

* * *

Previously in chapter 20.

 _ **"Have you figured out the gender yet?" asked Olivia**_

 _ **Spencer started writing on his small white board before showing it to Olivia.**_

 _ **IT SEEMS LIKE WE GOT OUR CHRISTMAS WISH BECAUSE WE ARE HAVING A BOY!**_

* * *

At that moment Olivia burst into tears and Spencer made his way over to her. He wiped Olivia's tears before kissing her on the cheek as Olivia wiped the tears that were falling down his own face.

William looked at his granddaughter who was giving her mommy and daddy a confused look.

"You're going to have a little brother Piper." said William as he got up with Piper in his arms so he could join in on the celebration and passed Piper to her father

"I'm so happy that I am getting a grandson." said William as he kissed Olivia on the cheek

Dr. Carter looked at Olivia.

"You should probably get cleaned up before continuing the celebration." said Dr. Carter

* * *

Olivia looked at her husband who was sitting in the back seat with Piper while William drove.

"Should we tell everyone the gender when they come over for dinner tonight to see how you're doing or should we tell them with Christmas gifts?" asked Olivia

Spencer started writing his response.

WHILE YOU WERE CLEANING YOURSELF UP, I GOT A TEXT MESSAGE FROM GARCIA STATING THAT HOTCH, MORGAN, JJ, ROSSI, AND ALEX WERE CALLED IN FOR A CASE LAST NIGHT SO LUNCH WITH THE TEAM IS BEING PUSHED BACK A FEW DAYS.

Olivia looked at her her husband and noticed that he had the look that told her the wheels in his brain were turning.

"What are you thinking about Spencer?" asked Olivia

Spencer quickly wrote his idea on his small white board.

I WANT TO REVEAL THE GENDER BY MAKING BLUE ELEPHANT TOOTHPASTE.

Olivia grinned at the memory of watching Spencer show his students how to make elephant toothpaste during their summer in Pasadena.

"I remember you showing your students that experiment during your temporary teaching position at Cal-tech." said Olivia

Spencer quickly wrote on his whiteboard.

MAKING ELEPHANT TOOTHPASTE DOES END UP MESSY BASED ON WHICH SOLUTION I USE, BUT I PROMISE THAT THIS GENDER REVEAL WILL HAPPEN OUTSIDE.

"I agree that you are going to do it outside due to the amount of foam that erupted when I saw you make elephant toothpaste the first time." said Olivia

* * *

Three hours later Spencer had just settled Piper down for a nap when the doorbell rang and he heard his father's voice.

"I will get it Spencer." shouted William

A minute later Spencer was downstairs and stared at his guest in shock when he saw Emily hanging up her jacket before making her way over to him.

"Hey Spencer." said Emily as she hugged Spencer "When I got that Christmas card a few days ago, I knew that I needed to spend Christmas with you guys."

Spencer tightly hugged Emily back, then grabbed his white board and wrote on it.

EVEN THOUGH YOU KNOW I HAD A TONSILLECTOMY DONE THREE DAYS AGO, I STILL CAN'T TALK.

"How are you feeling?" asked Emily

Spencer erased what he had written and wrote his reply.

I AM STILL DEALING WITH PAIN AND TAKING IBUPROFEN FOR PAIN MANAGEMENT, BUT I AM FEELING MUCH BETTER THAN I WAS ON MONDAY AFTER WAKING UP FROM SURGERY.

Emily grinned at her surrogate little brother.

"I'm glad that you're feeling better." said Emily

Spencer wrote on his whiteboard again.

OLIVIA JUST LEFT FOR WORK THREE HOURS AGO SINCE SHE TOOK HALF THE MORNING OFF DUE TO HER ULTRASOUND. THE REST OF THE TEAM ARE ON A CASE, AND OLIVIA AND I ARE GOING TO REVEAL THE GENDER OF THE BABY WHEN THEY GET BACK.

"How are you and Olivia revealing the gender?" asked Emily

Spencer erased what he had on the whiteboard and wrote again.

I AM GOING TO BE MAKING ELEPHANT TOOTHPASTE TO MAKE THE REVEAL FUN FOR JACK AND HENRY, AND I AM ABOUT TO DO A TEST RUN ON MY SCIENCE EXPERIMENT SINCE I JUST PUT PIPER DOWN FOR HER NAP. YOU ARE WELCOME TO JOIN ME, BUT DON'T TELL ANYONE WHAT COLOR THE FOAM IS.

Emily grinned at the mention of science experiment.

"Let's go outside and do it now because I am now interested since I'm a nerd like you and Olivia." said Emily as she watched Spencer erase what he wrote.

Spencer looked at his father and wrote on his white board.

IS EVERYTHING ALL SET OUTSIDE?

"Everything is all set, but please don't stay out there too long since you need to be by your humidifier." said William

Spencer nodded at his father's request, and a few minutes later Emily grinned at the results of the science experiment.

"Your secret is safe with me." said Emily as she helped Spencer clean up the mess he made

A few minutes later Spencer and Emily were back inside the warm house, and Spencer wrote on his whiteboard before showing it to Emily who was petting Einstein.

HOW LONG ARE YOU STAYING HERE THIS AFTERNOON?

"I don't have to meet with my mom for dinner until 6:30 PM." said Emily

Spencer gave Emily a thumbs up.

"How about we watch Solaris?" asked Emily as she pulled the DVD that she brought out of her purse

Spencer's grin answered Emily's question.

"Are you able to eat popcorn yet?" asked Emily

Spencer shook his head no.

"Does Olivia allow you to splurge on ice cream as long as you take your antacids after consuming dairy?" asked Emily as she thought about all the times she commented to Spencer about his dairy intake

At that moment William who overheard Emily's question spoke up.

"She has been giving him leeway due to the pain in his throat as long as he takes his antacids, but he knows what toppings he can or can't put on his ice cream." said William

At that moment Spencer and Emily were dishing ice cream into two bowls, and after they were settled in the living room they were watching Solaris.

* * *

Halfway through the movie Spencer fell asleep, causing Emily to cover him up with a blanket before removing Spencer's glasses that ended up askew as William came into the room with Piper in his arms.

"He just fell asleep." whispered Emily as she gestured for William to pass Piper to her

William nodded as he passed Piper to Emily.

"You have gotten big since the last time I saw you in person." whispered Emily as she settled Piper down on her lap

At that moment Piper started babbling away at her Aunt Emily, and as soon as Piper stopped babbling Emily looked into her eyes.

"You got your daddy's eyes." said Emily

Piper turned her attention over to her daddy.

"Daddy." said Piper as she pointed at her daddy

"Your Daddy's sleeping, but we should let him since he is still recovering from surgery." whispered Emily

* * *

One hour later Olivia entered the house and grinned at the sight of her husband napping on the couch near Emily who had Piper on her lap watching Solaris.

"When did you get here Emily?" whispered Olivia as she collected Piper from Emily

"I arrived last night, and I am staying at my mom's. I decided to come hang out with Spencer and keep him from thinking about the pain he is dealing with from surgery." whispered Emily

At that moment Olivia made her way over to her husband and stroked his hair.

"Spencer." said Olivia in a sing song voice

Spencer slowly opened his eyes and blearily noticed that Olivia was standing by him. Olivia found Spencer's glasses, put them on him and passed him his white board and a marker.

HOW LONG HAVE I BEEN OUT FOR?

Emily looked at Spencer.

"Over an hour, and I knew that you needed your rest since you are still dealing with pain." said Emily

Olivia looked at her husband.

"Have you taken medication at all?" asked Olivia as she set a sleeping Piper in her play pen

Emily looked at Olivia while deciding to answer the question.

"He took his antacids since we ended up eating ice cream, and I convinced him to take some ibuprofen for his throat while making sure he stayed hydrated." said Emily

"Thank you Emily. How long are you in town for?" asked Olivia as she settled herself onto Spencer's lap, causing him to rest his hands on her baby bump

"The day after Christmas." said Emily before looking at Olivia and noticing the baby bump "I am excited about getting to spoil your son."

Olivia looked at her husband.

"You told Emily?" asked Olivia

Emily looked at Olivia.

"Spencer decided to tell me since none of his teammates know that I am in town because my mother paid for my flight, and he promised to keep this visit a secret." said Emily

"Are you staying for dinner?" asked Olivia as she smelled food cooking in the kitchen, realizing that her father in law was making dinner

Emily looked at the clock.

"I have to get going in 10 minutes since my mom wants me to dress up for tonight." said Emily

"Hopefully you will come over to the team dinner that is happening here when Spencer's teammates get back from their case." said Olivia

"I wouldn't miss it since it was fun watching your husband create elephant toothpaste." said Emily

* * *

Spencer looked at Olivia who was making pancakes as he entered the kitchen.

"Morning Livy." said Spencer softly

Olivia squealed when she heard her husband's voice.

"I am glad to hear your voice again." said Olivia as she pecked her husband on the lips

"I am too, but I know that I need to not overuse it." said Spencer softly

"You got that right." said Olivia

"Where's Piper?" asked Spencer

"William fed her some baby oatmeal and smashed bananas and Piper wasn't cooperating with him so he is giving her a bath." giggled Olivia as she showed Spencer the picture she took

"She cooperates when I feed her." said Spencer

"I think Piper is going to be thrilled when she hears you talk." said Olivia

"I think so too, since she was upset that she couldn't hear my voice this past week." said Spencer as he started eating his pancakes

"I have to head over to Georgetown to post exam grades while preparing my lesson plans for the next semester, so I will see you when I get home." said Olivia

"Love you." said Spencer as he pecked Olivia on the lips

"Love you too." said Olivia

15 minutes later William came into the kitchen with a freshly bathed Piper in his arms and he looked at Spencer who was rinsing his plate. Piper squealed when she saw her daddy.

"Daddy!" exclaimed Piper

"Good morning Piper." said Spencer

Piper happily squealed when she heard her daddy's voice.

"I see that you got your voice back." said William

"Even though I got my voice back this morning, I still have to take it easy and rest a lot." said Spencer

"You are right about that. Did Olivia leave for work?" asked William

"Yes." said Spencer as he took Piper from his father's arms

* * *

The next day Spencer's phone vibrated and he saw a text message from Garcia.

CASE GOT FINISHED YESTERDAY, AND I AM HOPING THAT YOU ARE UP TO HAVING EVERYONE INCLUDING JACK AND HENRY WHO WANT TO SEE YOU COME OVER IF YOU, YOUR DAD, AND OLIVIA DON'T HAVE PLANS.

At that moment Spencer typed a reply.

THERE ARE NO PLANS, AND MY VOICE CAME BACK YESTERDAY.

A minute later Spencer's cellphone rang, and he saw that it was Garcia.

"Hello Penelope." said Spencer softly

Penelope squealed through the phone causing Spencer to move his phone away from his ear.

"It's so good to hear your voice again." said Garcia

"Piper's glad to hear my voice again." said Spencer

"I won't tell the others that you're talking again." said Garcia

"It will be fun to surprise my teammates." said Spencer

* * *

Spencer opened up the door to see Hotch and Jack who were the first ones to arrive.

"Hey guys." said Spencer softly as he let Hotch and Jack inside

"I see you got your voice back." said Hotch as he shut the door behind him

"It came back yesterday, and Piper was happy to have me read, sing, and talk to her again." said Spencer

"That's great." said Hotch as he hung up his and Jack's jackets

"You guys are the first ones here, and Einstein is currently outside going to the bathroom." said Spencer

A few minutes later JJ, Will, and Henry arrived.

"Hey." said Spencer as he allowed JJ, Will, and Henry into the house

"You're talking." said JJ as she hugged Spencer

"My voice came back yesterday." said Spencer before he looked at Henry "Jack's in the living room playing with Piper."

"OK Uncle Spencer." said Henry as he ran to the living room

"Where's Olivia?" asked JJ

"She's currently making lunch with my dad while I am the official doorman." said Spencer

During the next 10 minutes Morgan, Garcia, and Alex arrived. They were thrilled to hear Spencer talking again and before they knew it Rossi came with Strauss in tow.

"I hope you wouldn't mind me bringing Erin since she wanted to see how you're doing." said Rossi

Spencer looked at his section chief.

"You're always welcome to join Rossi during events like this." said Spencer softly

"I see your voice came back." said Rossi

"Came back yesterday evening, and little Miss Piper here was excited to hear me talk again." said Spencer as he scooped his daughter off the floor and kissed her cheek

Piper looked at her daddy.

"Seepy Daddy." said Piper

"You want to take a nap?" asked Spencer

"Wan Daddy seep wit me." said Piper as she snuggled into her daddy's chest

"Aww." cooed JJ, Garcia, and Alex as Strauss couldn't hide her smile

"Not right now, but you can sleep with mommy and me tonight." said Spencer as he gently rubbed his daughter's back

At that moment Olivia entered the living room and looked at her husband.

"You better take her upstairs and change her diaper before putting her down. Lunch will be finished in 10 minutes so don't take too long up there." said Olivia

"Yes ma'am." teased Spencer as he pecked his wife on the lips before carrying his daughter upstairs

Strauss looked at Olivia.

"Your husband calls me ma'am too." said Strauss

"Except Spencer says it in a teasing manner to me while he says it formally to you." said Olivia

Garcia looked at Olivia.

"Thanks for the pictures you sent of Spencer and Piper to me during the past few days." said Garcia

"A few weeks ago Spencer wasn't happy that I sent you a video of him singing his favorite lullaby while slow dancing with Piper even though that moment got me to release a few tears due to pregnancy hormones." said Olivia

Strauss looked at Olivia.

"How far along are you now?" asked Strauss

"Next week I will be 14 weeks, and Spencer and I found out the gender two days ago." said Olivia

"Can you please tell us now?" asked Garcia as she thought about the baby clothing that caught her eye while she was Christmas shopping

"After lunch, and Spencer and I decided to reveal the gender in a way that allows Spencer to use his PhD in chemistry." said Olivia

Jack looked at Olivia.

"So are you and Uncle Spencer showing us a science experiment?" asked Jack as he thought about a few science experiments that his Uncle Spencer showed him to make science fun

"Yes we are, but you will have to wait to see Uncle Spencer's science experiment until after lunch." said Olivia

At that moment Spencer entered the living room and wrapped his arms around Olivia while resting a hand on her belly and after a few minutes of talking about anything but work Spencer's father came into the living room.

"Lunch is finished." said William

Hotch and Will looked at their sons.

"Let's go wash our hands." said Hotch and Will at the same time

Jack and Henry followed their daddies to the bathroom.

A half hour later dishes were put in the dish washer and Garcia looked at Spencer and Olivia.

"Can you guys please reveal the gender now?" asked Garcia

"First we have to put on your jackets and go outside." said Olivia

A few minutes later Spencer and Olivia were standing by a table that contained the ingredients and a large container that Spencer painted black to hide the color of the elephant toothpaste, and Garcia pulled out her phone so she could film the moment for Emily.

"Why are you filming this Penelope?" asked Spencer

"I am filming this for Emily and your mom." said Garcia

"My mom and aunt already know from when I called my mom yesterday to tell her how I am doing." said Spencer as he thought about his mom's reaction to having a grandson

"Then this video is for Emily." said Garcia

Spencer and Olivia looked at each other and managed to keep their poker faces as they saw Emily with a bundled up Piper in her arms.

"Turn around guys." said Spencer

Hotch, JJ, Morgan, Rossi, Alex, and Garcia turned around and Garcia squealed when she saw Emily step outside with Piper in her arms.

"When did you arrive?" asked Hotch as he hugged Emily

"After getting that Christmas card from Spencer saying that there will be a new addition in June, I knew I needed to come to DC for Christmas." said Emily

"And two days ago Emily showed up when I was putting Piper down for her nap. She spent the afternoon and early evening with me to keep me from going crazy about being cooped up here at home." said Spencer

Garcia turned her attention to Spencer.

"Why didn't you tell me?" asked Garcia as she slapped Spencer on the arm

"I asked Spencer to keep my visit a secret." said Emily as she accepted more hugs

Olivia looked at her husband after everyone was finished greeting Emily.

"You should probably make that elephant toothpaste since you aren't suppose to spend long periods of time outside." said Olivia

"Yes ma'am." teased Spencer as he pecked her on the lips

Spencer looked at his father, teammates, Will, Jack, Henry, Strauss, and Emily.

"The color of the foam will tell you guys the gender of Baby Reid." said Spencer

"Pink if it's a girl and blue if it's a boy?" asked an anxious Garcia

"Correct." said Spencer before looking at everyone "You guys ready?" asked Spencer as he accepted a cup of warm water from his father

Everyone nodded.

"Well my beautiful wife is going to be my lab partner for this science experiment." smiled Spencer as he kissed Olivia on the lips, causing everyone to smile

"We better put on our safety gear since you gave me statistics about how dangerous chemicals like this can be." said Olivia as she gestured to the materials they were using to create the elephant toothpaste

At that moment both Spencer and Olivia donned their safety glasses and latex free gloves, and at Spencer's nod Olivia handed Spencer the ingredients in the order they needed to go to, and a few seconds later Olivia and Spencer both stepped back as a large amount of blue foam erupted from the container like a volcano causing cheers and clapping from everyone.

"Cool!" shouted Jack and Henry

"Based on the color of the foam you guys can tell that we are having a boy." grinned Spencer as he and Olivia approached their guests who wanted to shake their hands or hug them

A few minutes later everyone was back inside the house drinking sparkling cider to celebrate the gender of Baby Reid while Spencer sat close to the humidifier.

"I still have time to go Christmas shopping since you two are having a boy. I saw some cute baby clothes while I was doing some Christmas shopping a few days ago." exclaimed Garcia

Spencer and Olivia exchanged glances.

"I will make sure that Penelope doesn't go overboard." said JJ

Spencer looked at everyone.

"Are any of you guys wanting to join Olivia and I for Christmas dinner?" asked Spencer

"My mom expects me to attend dinner at her house, but I will make sure to drop by with my gifts." said Emily

"Jack and I will be glad to join you guys." said Hotch as he watched Piper laugh while Jack played peek a boo with her making him realize that he needs to spend time with his goddaughter

"I will join you guys so Olivia doesn't have to spend too much time in the kitchen, and I can tell that Spencer is going to be banned from the kitchen since he is supposed to take it easy." said Rossi

Olivia gave Rossi a grateful smile.

"What about you Morgan?" asked Spencer

"My mom and sisters are flying down here, and they are wanting to meet Piper since they enjoy seeing the pictures that I send them." said Morgan

"You and your mom and sisters are welcome to join us for Christmas dinner." said Olivia

"And maybe I can be given more dirt to use against you." smirked Spencer

"What about you Penelope?" asked Olivia

"I will join you guys because I am having baby fever." said Garcia

"My mom and the rest of my family from Pennsylvania are coming down here, so I will have to decline." said JJ

"I will join you guys." said Alex

* * *

On Christmas Day Spencer, Olivia, William, and Piper were surrounded by wrapping paper on the floor while already unwrapped gifts were placed back under the tree, and Spencer pulled a small box from his pocket and passed it to Olivia.

"I wanted to save the best for last." said Spencer

Olivia opened the jewelry box and gasped when she saw an infinity necklace that contained hers, Spencer's, and Piper's birthstones as she realized that there was some room for more stones to be added.

"This necklace is my most favorite Christmas gift this year." said Olivia

"I knew that it would be your favorite gift." said Spencer

"Can you please put it on me?" asked Olivia as she handed her husband the necklace

"Sure." said Spencer

Olivia lifted up her hair, and Spencer clasped on the necklace.

"I am going to wear this necklace everyday." said Olivia

"After Albert is born, I am going to take this necklace to get his birthstone added on." said Spencer as he kissed his wife's 14 week pregnant belly

William looked at his son and daughter in law.

"What time do you two usually go to Mass?" asked William

"We go to the 10 AM service, and with it being 7 AM we need to start getting ready so we can find some good seats." said Spencer

* * *

A few hours later Olivia, Rossi, Alex, Fran, Sarah, and Desiree all looked at Spencer.

"You stay out of the kitchen since you're still recovering from surgery." ordered Olivia

"Yes ma'am." teased Spencer as he grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge and a banana from the fruit bowl

"But please make sure that everyone stays quiet since Piper is napping upstairs." said Olivia

Spencer nodded and headed to the living room where Jack and Morgan were playing with Einstein while Hotch and William Reid were exchanging stories from their times in the courtroom, and Jack perked up when he saw Spencer.

"Uncle Spencer can I please take Einstein outside to play in the snow?" asked Jack

"Sure you can bud, but please don't go alone." said Spencer as he worked on peeling his banana

"I will join you Jack." said Morgan

Jack looked at his daddy.

"Are you going to join Einstein, Uncle Derek, and me?" asked Jack

"Sure buddy." said Hotch as he smiled at his son

Jack looked at Spencer who was eating his banana.

"What about you Uncle Spencer?" asked Jack

"I would love to Jack, but I can't join you guys." said Spencer sadly

"Why?" asked Jack

"I am still recovering from my tonsillectomy, and my doctor said that I have to take it easy for a few more days before resuming normal activities." said Spencer

William who noticed Jack's sad face, decided to speak up.

"I need a child to help me experience playing in the snow for the first time." said William

"You never played in the snow before?" asked Jack

"I grew up in the desert like Spencer did, and this is my first time experiencing a white Christmas." said William

Morgan laughed and looked at Spencer's dad.

"During your son's first winter here, he was complaining about the snow and cold, causing me and a few other agents take him to the park and play in the snow for the first time." said Morgan

"And I helped Spencer make sure that he had everything to survive his first winter out here." said Hotch

10 minutes later Jack, Hotch, William, Morgan, and Einstein were outside in the snow with Jack showing William how to build a snowman and a few minutes later Spencer heard his daughter cry through the baby monitor that was in his hand causing him to look at Olivia, Fran, Sarah, Desiree, and Rossi.

"I will go get Piper since I am on Piper duty." said Spencer

"I can't wait to meet your little angel Olivia." said Fran as she looked at Olivia

"Going to Mass tired her out since a lot of elderly women wanted to hold her after Mass." said Olivia

At that moment Spencer headed upstairs and a minute late he entered his daughter's nursery and smiled down at his baby girl who was sitting up in her crib.

"Did you have a good nap?" asked Spencer as he scooped up his daughter and carried her to the changing table to put a fresh diaper on her

A few minutes later Spencer was downstairs with Piper in his arms, and Fran made a beeline for Piper.

"Please hand Piper over since this is my first time meeting her in person." said Fran

Spencer passed his daughter over to Fran, and a minute later they were on the couch with Piper sitting on Fran's lap and Piper staring at Fran.

"You're more beautiful in person." cooed Fran as she stroked Piper's light brown curls

"She caught my heart when I held her for the first time on Father's Day six months and one week ago." said Spencer

"You definitely have some of your daddy's looks." said Fran as she looked into Piper's brown eyes before smoothing Piper's light brown curls "I just wish that Derek would give me some grandchildren, but for now I can spoil you and your unborn baby brother." cooed Fran

Spencer smiled at Fran.

"Piper is already spoiled by everyone, but I appreciate the gifts that you brought for her and my unborn son." said Spencer

"With my son considering you a little brother that makes you, Olivia, and Piper part of my family. Are you excited about having a son?" asked Fran as she thought back to the phone call with her son a few days prior about how Spencer has been doing since his tonsillectomy and about how Spencer and Olivia revealed the gender

"I am, and Olivia is hoping that Albert looks just like me." said Spencer as he watched Olivia laugh at something Sarah and Desiree were telling her

"So you and Olivia are naming your son Albert?" asked Fran

"Olivia's late father was named Albert, and it means noble and bright." said Spencer

"That's a good name for your son." said Fran

"I know." said Spencer

"What about a middle name?" asked Fran

"Olivia and I have narrowed down Albert's middle names to two names and we are still discussing which name to do." said Spencer

"What are they?" asked Fran

"I want to do Daniel after my late Uncle Daniel while Olivia wants to name Albert after me." said Spencer

"So between Albert Daniel Reid and Albert Spencer Reid then." said Fran

"Yes." said Spencer

"With Olivia being 14 weeks pregnant, you two have plenty of time to decide." said Fran

* * *

Spencer entered the master bedroom and heard Olivia through the bathroom door.

"Is Piper asleep?" asked Olivia

"She just fell asleep, and we still need to ring in the new year in a few hours." said Spencer knowing that he and Olivia both had plans to stay up late

At that moment Olivia exited the bathroom wearing Christmas themed lingerie and a Santa hat, causing Spencer to stay rooted in his spot making Olivia walk over to him and start undoing the buttons of his dress shirt.

"Since you got the all clear on Friday, I decided that we could wait with activities like this until tonight since we are staying up late." said Olivia as she tossed her husband's dress shirt into the hamper before running her hand down his chest

Spencer groaned as he felt his body reacting, causing him to pick up his now 15 week pregnant wife and carry her to bed, causing a heated make out session.

* * *

At 11:59 PM Spencer looked at his wife as they lay side by side in bed.

"We have less than one minute until the year 2013 begins." said Spencer

10 seconds later the digital alarm clocked showed that it was 12 AM and Spencer kissed his wife on the lips. A minute later Spencer looked at Olivia.

"Happy New Year Olivia." said Spencer

"Happy New Year Spencer." said Olivia

Spencer placed his hands on Olivia's 15 week pregnant belly.

"Happy New Year Albert and I can't wait to meet you in June." said Spencer as he kissed Olivia's belly before looking at his wife in shock "Did you feel Albert move?"

"It's definitely his first kick." said Olivia as tears streamed down her face

"I guess he was telling us Happy New Year." said Spencer as he wiped Olivia's tears with his thumb before Olivia wiped the tears that were streaming down his own face

"I just wonder how Piper will react to feeling her little brother kick in a few weeks when Albert's kicks get stronger?" asked Olivia

"We will just have to wait and see." said Spencer as he helped his wife out of bed so they could take a bath together and when they were settled in the bathtub Spencer gave his wife a lower back massage as he talked "I just wonder what this year is going to bring us?"

"We have some exciting events to look forward to." said Olivia as she rested her hands on her 15 week pregnant belly and smiled when she felt her son kick again

"I agree that Albert's upcoming birth and Piper turning one counts as good thing, but I just wonder when my teammates and I are going to catch that copycat killer?" asked Spencer as he thought about the update that Hotch gave him when he and Jack came over for dinner a few hours after Spencer's post operation appointment

"Just think about what today is going to bring us, and don't worry too much about the future, Spencer." said Olivia as she laid her head against his chest

* * *

A/N: With the birthstone necklace Spencer got for Olivia, my mom has a ring that contains her's, my father's, my two brothers, and my birthstone which is why Spencer had his and Olivia's birthstones added to the necklace.


	22. Edge of Winter

Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds

 _A/N: Shout out to tannerose5, Chermayne, southernbeauty13, Hippichic81, and OhSnapItsMadison, for reviewing chapter 21._

 _I know that Edge of Winter happened in season nine, but the case took place in January of 2013 (Based on Criminal Minds Wiki) based on the flashbacks and I just had to include the flashback parts of The Edge of Winter due to the action that Spencer got in that episode._

 _The next chapter will deal with Olivia's birthday and an event that will cause Spencer to take over two weeks off before meeting his teammates in San Francisco. But don't worry too much since I promise you readers that I won't be killing off Olivia, Piper, or my future OC Albert Reid._

 _Have been dealing with a snowstorm since Friday December 16th, and I'm glad that I own snow boots when it comes to being told that I am going to be dealing with 8 to 14 inches of snow._ _But now since Winter Storm Bailey is over, I now have to deal with a wind chill advisory._

 _Now it's time to stop rambling in this long author's note so you readers can read this chapter._

* * *

Piper was watching her daddy rub something on her mommy's belly, and she tilted her head in confusion every time she saw her mommy and daddy smile at each other. Then she saw her mommy smiling at her.

"Come here, Piper." said Olivia

Piper started crawling over to her daddy who scooped her up and settled her onto his lap.

"Want to feel your little brother kick?" asked Spencer as he placed Piper's hand onto Olivia's belly and a minute later Piper's brown eyes went wide as she looked at her mommy and daddy, causing them to laugh

"That's your little brother Albert who is currently growing in my belly." said Olivia

"Al?" asked Piper as she patted her mommy's now rounded belly

"That's right sweet pea." said Olivia

"You are going to be a great big sister, Piper." said Spencer as he kissed his daughter's head

Olivia looked at her husband.

"You ready to go back to work tomorrow?" asked Olivia

"I'm jealous that you are still on winter break for a few more weeks." said Spencer as he kissed his daughter's cheek

"You love your job Spencer, and I have been thinking about teaching part time instead of full time after Albert's birth since I really enjoy being a mother." said Olivia

"Are you sure?" asked Spencer as he rubbed Piper's back

"You make good money due to your PhDs, and I still have quite a bit of money left from that trust fund my parents left me. Maybe in a few years when Piper and Albert are old enough for school I might teach full-time again. I just don't want you to quit doing what you love doing since your making this country a safer place for Piper, Albert, and me every time you put an unsub away with your teammates." said Olivia

At that moment Spencer looked at Piper who was in his arms, and realized that she fell asleep at some point.

"Piper's asleep so I am going to take her upstairs and put her to bed." said Spencer as he let out a yawn

"I guess it's an early bedtime for all three of us today since I am tired too." said Olivia

* * *

The next day Spencer shook his head when he noticed his teammates standing around his desk as he walked in.

"Hey guys." said Spencer as he set his messenger bag under his desk, removed his navy blue pea coat and draped it over his chair

"Welcome back, Boy Wonder." said Garcia as she hugged Spencer

"I haven't been away for four and a half months or a month this time, and the next longest leave I have planned is paternity leave to adjust to losing sleep again and bond with my son." said Spencer as he accepted hugs from his teammates "But it's good to be back, and I am pretty much back to full strength since having that tonsillectomy two weeks ago despite losing a few pounds from having to modify my diet as my throat recovered from surgery."

"At least Olivia's and my cooking helped you gain that weight that you lost back." said Rossi

Morgan looked at Spencer.

"Did you forge your clearance to travel papers again?" asked Morgan

Hotch looked at Morgan.

"Jack and I were over at the Reids for dinner a few hours after Reid's doctor appointment, and Olivia kept the papers away from Reid until they were in my hands. Plus if we get a case this week, he is staying behind since he isn't supposed to travel until next week." said Hotch

"Why next week?" asked Morgan

"It's been 16 days since having that tonsillectomy, and my doctor prefers to have all his patients wait with traveling on a plane until 21 days after a tonsillectomy." said Spencer as he looked at a photo of him with his two girls "But two of the positive things about being grounded from flying for another week is that I get to go home to my two girls every evening, and I have some extra time to work on Albert's nursery since my dad and I got started on it last week."

"Are you ever going to tell us the theme?" asked Garcia

"With Olivia being from Arizona and me being from Nevada, I decided that Albert's nursery will have a theme that deals with the southwest." said Spencer

* * *

A week later Spencer was sitting at the conference room table with his teammates so Garcia could brief them on their latest case.

"3 victims have been found in upstate New York in a town called Hamilton over the past 10 days. All of the bodies were discovered in a sort of public place, the first on a dead-end street, the second in a desolate alley, and this is the last one in a field." said Garcia

"Dorothy, we're not in Kansas anymore." said Rossi

"Although each victim was abducted from a neighboring city, they all have something in common." said Garcia

"Yikes." said Alex

"28 puncture wounds to the chest in groups of 4." said Garcia

"Looks like it was made by a 4-pronged hay fork or some other kind of farming equipment." said Morgan as Spencer jotted down notes

"Only the latest victim was displayed like that. The first two were unceremoniously dumped." said Hotch

"The display method and the disposal suggests the unsub's evolving. He wanted them to be found." said JJ

"Perhaps it's some kind of warning." said Alex

Spencer looked up from his notes as he talked.

"It could be a deity symbol. In a Japanese book from the year 712 called "Kojiki, " the scarecrow is seen as a symbol of someone who knew everything in the world." said Spencer

"I'm more concerned with the M. O. Is this piqueristic or flat-out sadistic?" said Morgan

"It could be a combo platter, with a side order of psycho." said Rossi

"His pace and determination mean he's going to kill again soon. Let's go to New York. Wheels up in 30." said Hotch before looking at Spencer as the others left the room "Are you sure that you're ready to travel with us even though you are now cleared to travel and cleared for field work?"

"Even though I loved spending the past three weeks being home with my two girls every night, I do miss traveling with you guys." said Spencer

"After Albert's birth I am still forcing you to take a month off to adjust to waking up a few times a night again and spend time with Olivia and Piper." said Hotch

"I know that it's going to be harder dealing with a baby and a toddler after Albert is born. Olivia and I have been talking about what to do with our careers. Even though Georgetown University has a good daycare center, Olivia is thinking about teaching part time after Albert's birth." said Spencer

"With how you and Olivia are making everything work when it comes to your jobs, marriage, and being parents you two will figure it out with how well you two are communicating." said Hotch

"I know, but Olivia doesn't want me to quit doing what I love doing." said Spencer

"Speaking of Olivia, you should probably call her so you can let her know that you are going to New York." said Hotch

Spencer headed over to his desk, pulled out his cellphone and called Olivia.

"Have a case?" asked Olivia as she rested her hands on her 16 week pregnant belly while she watched Piper play on the living room floor

"Going to Hamilton, New York, and I am hoping that we will be back to celebrate your 29th birthday." said Spencer

"We can always have a belated celebration if you get back after the 13th." said Olivia as Piper crawled over to her mommy

"I know." said Spencer

"Someone wants to say hi to you." said Olivia as she put her phone on speaker "Daddy's on the phone."

"Hi Daddy." said Piper

Spencer grinned when he heard his six and a half month old daughter's voice.

"Hi there Piper. Daddy has to go away for a few days, but I will talk to you before mommy puts you to bed. So you be good for your mommy." said Spencer

"Well, little miss Piper here has a stinky diaper so I need to change her. Piper and I love you Spencer." said Olivia

"And I love you two girls and our unborn son, and I will come home safe to you. When I get home I will be on Piper duty so you can rest your feet." said Spencer before hanging up and looking at JJ who got off the phone with Will "Hopefully we are back before the 13th since it's Olivia's birthday that day."

"Only one more year until her big 3-0." said JJ

"I know, and I am planning on making her 30th birthday special next year like she did when I turned 30." said Spencer

"And I can't wait for my goddaughter to turn one since I am going to spoil her rotten." said JJ

"Piper is already spoiled, and Albert is already spoiled, despite not being born yet." said Spencer

"How far is Olivia now?" asked JJ

"16 weeks." said Spencer

"Four more weeks and she's halfway through her second pregnancy." said JJ

"I know, and that's a huge reason why I already started on the nursery since Piper was born at 34 weeks." said Spencer

"And Garcia is already planning the upcoming baby shower for Albert." said JJ

"Which means that I will be kicked out of the house for a few hours again." said Spencer

At that moment Hotch and Rossi walked by with their go bags.

"You guys ready to go?" asked Hotch

Spencer, JJ, and Alex nodded.

* * *

"These 3 victims vary in age and were last seen in various public locations on different days." said Hotch

"Our unsub clearly employs an abduction method that works with both men and women." said Morgan

"The female victims had signs of sexual assault while the male did not. That means the rapes are situational. He also knew where to stab the victims without killing them right away." said Spencer

"Piquerism is usually sexual in nature, and it's not often found in mixed gender victimology." said Morgan

"He's probably a sadist who's getting immense pleasure from his victims' suffering." said Hotch

"Guys, I just found out that the second victim, Chloe Reynolds, she's Muslim." said Garcia

"The first victim, Marlene, is black. Maybe the most recent killing is a hate crime similar to Matthew Shepard." said Alex

"Garcia, do we know Ben's sexual orientation?" asked Hotch

"I'll start digging." said Garcia

* * *

Spencer was at the Medical Examiner office with Rossi and was examining the body.

"Were the markings similar on everyone?" asked Rossi

"2-millimeter holes, almost 1.27 centimeters apart." said Dr. Claude Pinault

Spencer decided to mention what he found.

"There are microscopic differences in the distances between the wounds. This one's one millimeter shorter." said Spencer before walking over to the other bodies and took a peek before saying his thoughts out loud "This is not the work of a hay fork or a farming implement. The holes are too small. I think it's most likely an ice pick."

"So the killers carefully jab the ice pick into the skin to set the pattern." said Dr. Pinault

"Exactly. Then they replicated it on the other victims. The unsubs would have had to stand over the body during the torture. It's actually quite masterful." said Spencer

"Whoever did this was extremely controlled." said Rossi

"Add that to the neatness of the crime scene and I think we're looking for someone with OCD. The precision is astounding." said Spencer

* * *

Spencer was examining the latest victim's body when Hotch, Rossi, and Alex entered the restroom that he was in with a crime scene tech who was taking pictures.

"Same signature, but the puncture wounds are bigger than the other ones, and they aren't the same distance apart. I think they used a different ice pick." said Spencer

"The wounds look deeper and more forceful, too." said Hotch

"They're continuing to display the bodies, which means they want everyone to see their handiwork." said Alex

"Yet the OCD's not present in the wound patterns or at the crime scene." said Rossi

"Maybe they're losing control and devolving." said Spencer

"Or they know we have Jane Doe and now their rage is already out of control." said Rossi as he pointed his phone at the victim so he could take a picture and send it to Morgan

"There are also indicators of sexual assault." said Spencer

"Let's get that photo to Morgan and JJ at the hospital. This could be the Carrie that the Jane Doe's been going on about." said Hotch

At that moment Rossi took the picture and sent it to Morgan.

* * *

"We believe we're looking for a pair of sadistic killers who are trying to terrorize the community by torturing and displaying their victims. One of the partners is dominant and fulfilling an emotional need. The other is submissive and displays obsessive-compulsive tendencies." said Hotch

"We believe the stabbing in the chest is symbolic of unfulfilled sexual desire. Their M. O. is deteriorating, and this is evidenced by the fact that for the first time a victim successfully escaped." said Spencer

"So they're improvising now, breaking their own rules and becoming even more reckless." said Alex

"This could cause a rift in the partnership, and it may result in changes or escalation to the torturous behavior. Now, we do have one hospitalized victim, but her abuse and length of captivity, along with the injuries sustained in the car accident, have left her in a dissociative state." said Morgan

"At this point, we believe she was held for at least 10 months, which is much longer than any of the other victims. This means that she held a very special place in the dominant unsub's fantasies." said JJ

"Losing her will only increase his anger. That's why he feels compelled to display his victims in a more public way. He wants others to feel the full force of his outrage." said Rossi

"Also, since another victim was found within the last two hours, we believe the kills are accelerating." said Spencer

* * *

Spencer was standing at the map where he completed his geographical profile on and he pointed out the results of his geographical profile.

"This is the area where the bodies are being dropped. It's basically a 10-mile radius." said Spencer

"But the hunting zone extends another 20 miles." said Alex

"Probably lives somewhere in there." said Rossi

At that moment Detective Walker walked into the room.

"The police captain just called from Brooklyn. Says she recognized our Jane Doe. Her name is Daria Samsen. They're sending a relative now." said Detective Walker

"What's their relationship?" asked Hotch

"It's her sister. She's on the next train up." said Detective Walker

* * *

Spencer closed the blinds of the room that he was in with Alex and Ellen Samsen before walking to the chair that was empty next to Alex.

"About a year ago, Daria was a med student at Cornell. She went to work one day and just vanished." said Ellen as Spencer sat down "We looked everywhere. Put up flyers, billboards. I thought she was murdered."

"When was the last time you saw her?" asked Alex

"The day she went missing. I dropped her off at work. She had a part-time job at a diner. She would...she would hook me up with coffee." said Ellen

"Do you remember anything strange about that day? What was the weather like?" asked Spencer softly as he started Ellen's cognitive interview

"Uh... It was cold. It was very cold. When we headed to the door, we walked by a truck." said Ellen

"Was there anyone inside of it?" asked Alex

"There was this guy. A white guy." said Ellen

"Did he say anything?" asked Alex

"He just looked at Daria and he said." said Ellen

"What did he look like?" asked Spencer

"He was built. Good-looking. Probably mid-30s." said Ellen

"Did your sister say anything to him?" asked Spencer

"She smiled back at him. He told her he was waiting for his mom who was in... Physical therapy across the street." said Ellen

"Was there anything identifiable on the truck? Bumper stickers. Decals." said Alex

"Uh, it was- it was blue. Kind of dingy." said Ellen

"Is that all you can see? Think back." said Alex

"I can see part of his license plate. Uh, 543L... But I hear a dispatcher." said Ellen

"What is the dispatcher saying?" asked Spencer

"There was a broken furnace." said Ellen

A few minutes later Spencer and Alex told Hotch and Rossi what Ellen told them, and before they knew it Garcia was giving them information about Joe Bachner.

"Yes. Yes. There's a Joe Bachner of Conway Electric. Pulling up his records now. Booyah, this is our guy." said Garcia

"What's his background?" asked Hotch

"He is a member of the upright citizens brigade, she says with biting sarcasm. In and out of jail, for battery, 15 years ago. Once accused of kidnapping a woman, but then she dropped the charges." said Garcia

* * *

Spencer got out of the SUV and pulled his revolver out of its holster.

"Blake and Reid." said Hotch as he pointed the direction he wanted Spencer and Alex to head over to.

A short while later Spencer put something back into a grill as Rossi, Hotch, and Detective Walker met up with him and Alex.

"Nothing out back." said Rossi

"He's burned papers, clothes." said Spencer

"The shed's been completely ammonia'd down." said Alex

"Checked the basement. Clean as a whistle." said Detective Walker

"Well, if he's not here, maybe he's with the partner." said Rossi

At that moment Hotch had Garcia on the phone.

"Garcia, where else has Joe worked besides Conway Electric?" asked Hotch

"He's had random construction jobs over the last two years." said Garcia

"And what do we know about his background?" asked Hotch

"Raised in Pennsylvania. His parents died in a car accident." said Garcia

"Where did he go after that?" asked Rossi

"His juvie records are sealed with crazy glue. But it looks like he was sent away to live with his alcoholic nurse aunt, who makes Mommy Dearest look like a Saint. According to reports, she locked him in a shed, didn't feed him for days, siccing bees on him when she was mad. That's how social services found him when he got to school. Hundreds of bee stings on his chest." said Garcia sadly

"So those torture wounds copied the stings." said Rossi

"It also explains the display method of his last two victims. He wants to show the world the horrors of what he was forced to endure as a child." said Spencer

"And Daria was a medical student. So we were right. She's a surrogate for Joe's aunt. Where's the aunt now?" asked Rossi

"Uh, she died February 2012." said Garcia

"A month before Daria was abducted. So the aunt's death was the trigger." said Alex

"Any known associates? We need to find the partner." said Hotch

"Looks like he hangs out with local biker dudes and former cellmates." said Garcia

"Compile a list. We'll run this by Daria at the hospital." said Hotch

"Yes. Yes. Bad people make bad people. Bye." said Garcia

At that moment Garcia hung up.

* * *

Spencer got out of the SUV to approach Coby.

"Coby Peters, FBI!" said Spencer

Coby ran off and Spencer started sprinting after him as Rossi drove to the other side of the building.

"FBI!" shouted Spencer as he chased Coby through the garage and when he got out of the garage, Rossi and another police officer pulled up, trapping Coby between the two vehicles.

"Don't move!" ordered Spencer as he pointed his gun at a trapped Coby while Rossi got out to provide back up. He holstered his gun when Rossi nodded at him, and he grabbed his handcuffs and cuffed Coby before reciting the Miranda Rights.

As Coby was placed in the car, Spencer grabbed some money from his wallet and walked to the vending machine that contained water, causing Rossi to look at him in concern as Spencer took a few sips of water.

"How's your throat after all that shouting and running that you just did?" asked Rossi

"My throat is doing fine since it's been 24 days since having surgery, and I wouldn't be here in New York with you guys on this case if my doctor thought my throat wasn't healed enough." said Spencer

* * *

Spencer was standing in the interrogation room with his arms crossed while Rossi sat across from Coby.

"I didn't kill anyone." said Coby as he looked at Spencer and Rossi

"We have 4 bodies, Coby. You're part of a team." said Spencer

"What team? I'm an electrician." said Coby

"Who used to be a medical tech. Is that how you learned to torture like this?" asked Rossi as he showed Coby pictures

"What the hell is this? I thought you brought me in here for the guns." said Coby in disbelief

"We don't care about the guns. What about Daria? You know her?" asked Rossi

Spencer watched Coby's facial expressions and noticed that Coby recognizes Daria.

"We're getting warmer, aren't we?" asked Spencer

"Looks familiar, doesn't she? Except you didn't kill this one, because she's laying up in a hospital room with torture wounds all over her body." said Rossi in a harsher tone than Spencer was using

"That's my friend's girl." said Coby

"Who's your friend?" asked Rossi

"Joe Bachner. She come around when we were playing poker. What happened to her?" asked Coby

"You tell us." said Spencer

Coby looked at Spencer.

"How should I know?" asked Coby

"What's your relationship with your friend?" asked Rossi

"He's my drinking buddy, and he works for me from time to time." said Coby

"When was the last time you saw him?" asked Rossi

Spencer observed Coby's clothing as Coby talked while searching for signs of OCD.

"I went to his house to give him the keys to my client's cabin. Water heater broke. He said he'd fix it." said Coby

"How was he acting?" asked Spencer

"Fine. He was packing up his car." said Coby

"Did he have anyone with him?" asked Spencer

"Just some equipment and." said Coby as he looked at the photos "Ice picks. Look, if Joe hurt these people, go talk to him. He's still up at my client's cabin."

A few minutes later Spencer and Rossi met up with Hotch who was observing the interrogation that Spencer and Rossi gave Coby.

"He seems forthcoming." said Rossi

"It could be the behavior of an innocent or a psychopath." said Hotch

"You know, I know his house was clean, but did you see his shirt and shoes? They were messy. There's no way this guy is OCD." said Spencer

"I find it interesting that Daria never asked Coby for help. She was there when they played poker." said Rossi

"Maybe she couldn't because she was still under Joe's control." said Spencer as he, Hotch, and Rossi approached Detective Walker

"We searched Coby's home. Nothing connected to the crime." said Detective Walker

"Let's head up to that cabin." said Rossi

* * *

Spencer got out of the SUV and headed towards the door with Rossi and a few seconds later he and Rossi were pointing their guns at Joe Bachner.

"Joe Bachner, FBI!" shouted Rossi

Joe held up his last victim and stabbed her before running as Rossi caught Carrie and passed her to Spencer as he ran after Joe.

Spencer held up the victim as he pulled his vest closer to him so he could speak into the microphone attached to his vest.

"We need medics." said Spencer into his microphone

* * *

Spencer looked at his teammates as he sat down with a bottle of water.

"At least I won't be missing Olivia's birthday this Sunday." said Spencer

Hotch looked at Spencer.

"Jack is excited about giving Olivia her gift." said Hotch

"So is Henry." said JJ

"I also a few surprises up my sleeve for her." said Spencer

"What are they?" asked Alex

"The first surprise I have for her is surprising her with breakfast in bed since she woke me up with bringing me breakfast in bed while singing Happy Birthday to me for my 30th and my 31st." said Spencer

"Breakfast in bed is a good idea." said Morgan

"What else do you have planned until we all meet up at Rossi's?" asked JJ

"Nothing else except for the same Sunday activities since its important to get laundry and cleaning done." said Spencer

* * *

Spencer headed up to Hotch's office and looked at Hotch.

"Here's my post case paperwork." said Spencer as he handed Hotch the file

"Are you going to home now?" asked Hotch

"Yeah I am, and I think I'm going to work on painting Albert's nursery before Olivia and Piper get home because Piper will demand my attention." said Spencer

"Piper does have you wrapped around her little finger." said Hotch with a rare smile on his face as he thought about his goddaughter

"She has her godfather wrapped around her finger too." said Spencer as he thought about the interactions between Hotch and Piper

* * *

Olivia grinned when she saw her husband's car the driveway and a minute later she got Piper out of the SUV.

"Daddy's home, sweet pea." said Olivia

"Daddy." said an excited Piper

A minute later Olivia was in the house with Piper, and as soon as jackets were hung up Olivia started walking around the first floor with Piper in her arms, and when they didn't see Spencer they ended up going upstairs. A few seconds later Olivia was licking her lips when she saw her husband wearing jeans and a Cal-tech t-shirt painting Albert's nursery while Piper got excited when she saw her favorite man.

"Daddy!" exclaimed Piper

Spencer turned his head at the sound of his little girl's voice and grinned when he saw his two girls, causing him to put the paint roller down and walk over to them.

"Hey." said Spencer as he kissed Piper's head before kissing Olivia on the lips

"Why didn't you call me to tell me that you're home from New York?" asked Olivia

"There's nothing wrong with me wanting to surprise my two girls, and I told my teammates that I was planning on surprising you." said Spencer as he collected his daughter from Olivia "Daddy missed you Piper, and I am going to be home all weekend." said Spencer before putting a hand on Olivia's belly, feeling a kick from his son "Daddy missed you too, Albert."

At that moment Piper tried to kiss her daddy on the cheek and Olivia took a picture of Piper trying to kiss her daddy's cheek.

"How long have you been home?" asked Olivia

Spencer checked his watch and realized that it was already 5:30 PM.

"Two and a half hours." said Spencer

"And you haven't even started making dinner yet?" asked Olivia as she raised her eyebrows at her husband

"I was planning on popping in one of the already made meals from the freezer into the oven." said Spencer

"Well, I am actually craving French fries and burgers." said Olivia

"So you'd rather go to our favorite diner for dinner?" asked Spencer

"I'd rather eat here at home." said Olivia

"Well, since we don't have frozen fries we can make homemade French fries with the potatoes from the potato bin, and I can make hamburger patties on our griddle." said Spencer

"Are you done painting in here yet?" asked Olivia

"I just finished the second coat when you got home, and I was adding finishing touches." said Spencer

"How about we turn on those fans, go downstairs and get dinner started, and after Piper is in bed I have plans for you since I got turned on watching your arms move while you were painting." said Olivia as she took a sleeping Piper from her daddy's arms before leaving the room

Spencer shook his head as he started to clean up his mess in Albert's nursery.

* * *

Six hours later Spencer and Olivia were laying side by side in bed covered in sweat and Spencer looked at his wife.

"That was a nice welcome home celebration for me." said Spencer

"And a great way to kick start our weekend." said Olivia

"Excited about your birthday on Sunday?" asked Spencer

"I'm just glad that you made it home in time to celebrate my birthday this weekend." said Olivia

"I am too." said Spencer


	23. Olivia Turns 29 & Piper Gets Sick

_Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds_

 _A/N: Shout out to OhSnapItsMadison, Hippichic81, and Chermayne for reviewing chapter 21._

 _With the nickname Spencer gives Piper in this chapter, my late aunt who died while I was writing chapter 57 of Love Takes Away the Pain: Book One use to call me the nickname that Spencer gives Piper._

 _This chapter is based on personal experience I went through when I was 19 years old so to understand this chapter a bit better, please look up Kawasaki Disease if you never heard about it._

* * *

Spencer grabbed the onsie that Garcia made for Piper to wear on Olivia's birthday and smiled while thinking about how Olivia was going to react to the onsie.

IT'S MY MOMMY'S 29TH BIRTHDAY TODAY.

After Spencer got Piper ready, he carried her downstairs and into the kitchen where he placed her in her high chair before pouring Cheerios into a bowl for her.

"It's your mommy's birthday 29th today." said Spencer as he set the bowl in front of Piper

"Mommy?" asked Piper as she looked around for her mommy

"She's sleeping in while I make her breakfast in bed like you and mommy did for me on my birthday last October." said Spencer as he started making pancakes and breakfast sausage for Olivia and himself

Piper smiled at her daddy as she started eating her Cheerios while throwing an occasional Cheerio onto the floor so Einstein could have some, causing Spencer to laugh.

"If you keep giving the dog Cheerios you are not going to grow big and strong." said Spencer

At that moment Piper swiped her bowl of Cheerios onto the floor and Einstein started eating them.

"You are such a goofball this morning." muttered Spencer as he flipped a pancake on the griddle before giving Piper more Cheerios

A minute later Piper swiped her second bowl of Cheerios onto the floor while blowing raspberries at her daddy.

"With how silly you are being this morning, I am definitely going to call you Goober from now on." said Spencer as he used Piper's bib to wipe the drool off her face

* * *

Spencer carried Piper in one arm while carrying a tray that contained his and Olivia's breakfast plate with the other hand and entered the master bedroom while singing Happy Birthday to Olivia.

Olivia opened her eyes when she heard her husband singing Happy Birthday, and all of a sudden tears started streaming down her face as she noticed the onsie that Piper was wearing and the tray holding breakfast that Spencer was carrying towards her.

"Happy Birthday Olivia." said as he Spencer set Piper down on the bed and looked at Piper "Go to mommy." said Spencer

At that moment Piper crawled over to her mommy and gave her a kiss on the cheek, causing Olivia to release a few more tears.

"Stupid pregnancy hormones." muttered Olivia as she cuddled with her little girl while glaring at her husband

"I made you breakfast in bed, and Piper already ate despite giving her Cheerios to Einstein which is her favorite thing to do." said Spencer as he set the tray onto the night stand "I have to go get your tea so how about you start eating your breakfast."

"Yes, sir." said Olivia as she gave her husband a salute

Spencer shook his head before leaving the bedroom to get Olivia's tea and his water.

A few minutes later Spencer and Olivia were eating their breakfast in bed while Piper chewed on her teething ring.

* * *

Olivia looked at her husband.

"Can you help me zip up this dress?" asked Olivia

"Sure." said Spencer as he zipped Olivia's dress "How about you finish getting ready while I get Goober ready." said Spencer

"Your calling our daughter Goober as a nickname?" asked Olivia

"I just don't want to give Piper a nickname that's common for fathers to call their daughters like Princess or Peanut, Peanut is a variation of Goober, and Piper was being a goofball this morning." said Spencer as he explained what else Piper did other than giving Einstein her Cheerios

After Spencer finished his story, Olivia burst out laughing.

* * *

Jack looked at Spencer who was bouncing Piper on his knee, causing her to laugh.

"Can I play with Piper?" asked Jack

"How about I put on a mini magic show for you, Henry, and Piper?" asked Spencer as he placed Piper on the floor, causing Piper to crawl over to Jack

At the word magic, Henry came running over and sat down on the floor by Jack and Piper.

"You three ready?" asked Spencer as he grabbed what he needed from his messenger bag

"Are you going to do physics magic Uncle Spencer?" asked Jack

"Not today bud, but maybe the next time you sleep over I will do some physics magic for you." said Spencer as he started doing magic tricks

After a few magic tricks, Jack and Henry decided that it would be fun to tackle Spencer and start tickling him, causing Hotch who was walking by to start laughing at the surprised look on Spencer's face before Spencer started laughing along as Piper crawled towards her daddy before she started to cry.

Jack and Henry stopped tickling Spencer so he could tend to Piper despite still laying on the floor.  
Spencer rolled himself around a bit to grab Piper before laying on his back again while settling Piper on top of him.

"What's wrong Goober?" asked Spencer as he felt his daughter's diaper noticing that it was clean and dry before looking into her mouth and noticed that she wasn't sprouting another tooth before looking at Hotch "Can you hold Piper for a second so I can sit up?"

"Sure." said Hotch as he scooped Piper off her daddy and 30 seconds later Spencer was on the couch with Piper on his lap

"Is she hungry or have a dirty diaper?" asked Hotch

"Neither." said Spencer

"What about sprouting another tooth?" asked Hotch

"Negative." said Spencer as kissed Piper's forehead, making him realize that she developed a fever, causing him to frown.

Hotch, who noticed Spencer's frown, looked at his youngest agent.

"A fever?" asked Hotch

"Yes, and based on my knowledge this is Piper's first time getting sick. Can you grab me her diaper bag please?" asked Spencer as he rubbed his daughter's lower back, trying to calm her down

Hotch grabbed Piper's diaper bag and looked at his youngest agent.

"What do you need from it?" asked Hotch

"There's a baby thermometer in there." said Spencer

At that moment Hotch found the baby thermometer in the bag and passed it over to Spencer who placed the thermometer in Piper's ear and a few seconds later he grimaced at her temperature.

"Based on that frown on your face, it doesn't look good." said Hotch

"She has a 101 degree fever." said Spencer as he passed the thermometer back to Hotch

"How about you take a few days off to help Olivia take care of Piper so Olivia can rest when she needs to." said Hotch as he placed the thermometer into Piper's diaper bag

"I think I will take that offer." said Spencer

At that moment, Olivia who was in the bathroom approached her two favorite people and noticed the frowns on Spencer's and Hotch's faces.

"What's wrong?" asked Olivia

"Piper has a 101 degree fever, so we should probably get her home and give her some Children's Tylenol to cool her down." said Spencer

Hotch looked at Olivia.

"Plus I told Spencer that he can have the next few days off to help take care of Piper while you take care of yourself and Albert." said Hotch as he gestured to Olivia's 17 week pregnant belly

"Thanks, Aaron." said Olivia

"Usually parents are extremely worried when their child gets sick for the first time, and I'd rather not have your husband be distracted at work while Piper is sick." said Hotch

Olivia looked at her husband.

"Let's say goodbye to everyone before we head home and work on getting Piper's fever down." said Olivia

Five minutes later Spencer, Olivia, and Piper were heading home after saying goodbye while being told to call if they needed anything.

* * *

Three days later the land line rang, and Spencer answered the phone.

"Hello." answered Spencer

"You have a collect call from Adam Worth." said the operator

"Is this a prank call?" asked Spencer

"Zugzwang." said a computerized voice before hanging up

Spencer put the phone back onto its receiver while taking a few deep breaths to calm himself down.

"It was just a prank call." muttered Spencer to himself while not realizing that the real reason behind that phone call was going to come to light within the next few months

Two hours later Spencer looked over his daughter as he changed her diaper and became alarmed when he noticed that the lymph nodes on Piper's neck were swelling, there was redness showing in her eyes, her tongue was strawberry red, and there was redness showing on the soles of her hands and feet. At that moment he mentally went through a book that he read about childhood illnesses and paled when he realized what could be wrong with Piper.

"What's wrong?" asked Olivia when she noticed how pale her husband got

Spencer took a few deep calming breaths before looking at Olivia.

"Can you go start the SUV while I call Dr. Carter?" asked Spencer as he fastened Piper's diaper

"What's wrong?" repeated Olivia in a firmer tone

"I have a diagnosis, and I want to talk to Dr. Carter first before we take Piper to the hospital." said Spencer

As Olivia left the nursery, Spencer grabbed the land line and called Dr. Carter since his cellphone was on its charger.

"Dr. Carter." answered Dr. Carter

"Hello Dr. Carter, it's Dr. Spencer Reid calling about Piper who has been sick for a few days and she doesn't have any symptoms of the common cold or this year's strain of influenza." said Spencer as he started to dress his daughter warmly

Dr. Carter noticed the urgency in Spencer's voice.

"What's wrong with Piper?" asked Dr. Carter

"I suspect that she has symptoms of Kawasaki Disease due to having a fever for three days already." said Spencer as he tried to stay calm

At that moment Dr. Carter became alert since she heard about that illness while knowing to trust Spencer's instincts due to his eidetic memory.

"What are her symptoms?" asked Dr. Carter as she opened Google on her laptop

"Strawberry red tongue, red eyes with no discharge, a fever that hasn't gone away in the past three days, swollen lymph nodes on her neck, redness on the soles of her hands and feet which means that she is going to be dealing with swollen hands and feet before the skin surrounding her fingers and toes starts peeling when she reaches phase two of the symptoms." said Spencer

Dr. Carter typed in Kawasaki Disease on her laptop and quickly skimmed through the information before speaking to Spencer.

"She is fitting the criteria for Kawasaki Disease, and I suggest that you and Olivia take Piper to Children's National Hospital as quick as you can. I will call the emergency department myself and tell them that you guys are on your way while I give Piper's medical history to the on call pediatric cardiologist. Piper should be fine since she is getting the help she needs." said Dr. Carter as she dialed the number of the pediatric cardiologist that she trusts Piper's life with

A few minutes later after Einstein was taken outside and locked in his kennel, Spencer and Olivia were rushing Piper to Children's National while not realizing that they left their cellphones at home.

* * *

Three hours later Dr. Lopez looked at Spencer and Olivia and noticed that with Olivia crying at the sight of Piper laying in that crib hooked up to heart monitors and a PICC line while clutching her baby bump, she knew that it would be easier to talk to Spencer based on the conversation she had with Dr. Carter.

"Dr. Reid, may I talk to you in my office?" asked Dr. Lopez as she nodded at the attending nurse to stay with Olivia

Spencer looked at his wife.

"I will be back as soon as I can Livy." said Spencer before stroking his sleeping daughter's cheek "Daddy will be back soon."

Spencer followed Dr. Lopez to her office and Dr. Lopez handed Piper's lab work results and treatment plan to Spencer who started reading them right away at a fast pace without having to ask questions, and when Spencer looked up at Dr. Lopez when he realized that Dr. Lopez will be Piper's cardiologist for future doctor appointments.

"Since calling your daughter's doctor right away, Piper has a greater chance of surviving Kawasaki without developing heart problems." said Dr. Lopez

Spencer sighed in relief as he signed the consent forms for Piper's treatment.

"I suggest that while Piper is being given the best care here, you should focus on taking care of yourself and your pregnant wife, and I can have a bed brought into the room for you and Olivia to sleep in if you are going to stay here the next few days with your daughter." said Dr. Lopez

"Thank you, Dr. Lopez." said Spencer as he shook hands with Dr. Lopez "And knowing Olivia, she will want to stay."

"When Dr. Carter told me that you and your wife were bringing Piper in, she warned me about your wife's condition. So how about you go talk to your wife and let her know what's going on and Piper's treatment plan." said Dr. Lopez

A few minutes later Spencer entered Piper's private hospital room as a nurse brought in a bed for Spencer and Olivia to sleep in.

"If you two need anything please press the call button, and I am going to be your daughter's nurse for the night." said the nurse as she hooked a bag that contained Immunoglobulin the IV stand that was over Piper's crib and checked Piper's vitals before leaving the room

"Come sit with me." said Spencer as he patted on the bed

Olivia sat by her husband and Spencer wrapped an arm around her.

"What's the diagnosis Spencer?" asked Olivia

"Piper has Kawasaki Disease." said Spencer

At that moment Olivia started sobbing since she lost a childhood friend to Kawasaki Disease, and Spencer tightly embraced his wife.

"Piper's going to be fine as long as she responds to the Gamma Globulin that just got connected to her IV." said Spencer as he rubbed Olivia's back

"I had a childhood friend who died from that disease when I was 10 years old." sobbed Olivia

Spencer quickly flashed back to when he and Olivia talked about childhood friends they lost when he brought up Riley Jenkins.

"Medicine is much more advanced today than it was 19 years ago, and Piper has a high chance of developing no coronary aneurysms since she is receiving treatment she needs right now, and Dr. Lopez is going to be Piper's pediatric cardiologist when it comes to future echocardiograms and CT scans." said Spencer

Olivia continued sobbing for Piper, and at that moment Piper's nurse entered the room and looked at Spencer.

"Is your wife OK?" whispered the nurse

"With her being 17 weeks pregnant and learning that Piper has Kawasaki Disease, her hormones are causing her to cry right now since she lost a friend to Kawasaki Disease when she was 10 years old." said Spencer as he realized that his wife cried herself to sleep. He got up while lifting Olivia into his arms and laid her on the bed.

"She's asleep?" asked the nurse

"Yeah she is, and hopefully she sleeps through the night." said Spencer as he removed Olivia's shoes

"You should get some rest yourself since you are going to be having a rough next few days." said the nurse as she checked on Piper

"I think I will join my wife in bed." said Spencer as he removed his shoes before joining Olivia in bed

* * *

Eight hours later Garcia rang the doorbell of the Reid family home and heard Einstein barking. After a minute of no answer she ended up calling Spencer's phone before calling Olivia's phone. And after a few minutes with no answers she decided to call Hotch.

"Is there a case Garcia?" asked Hotch as he neared Jack's school

"No, but I decided to stop by the Reids on the way to work to see if they needed anything since Piper's still sick. No one answered the door or their phones, and Spencer's Volvo is still here." said a worried Garcia

"Maybe they took Piper to the doctor." said Hotch

"Olivia gave me a key to their house and I know the security code, and I am thinking about using my key to go inside and check on them." said Garcia as she heard Hotch say goodbye to Jack as Jack got out of Hotch's car

"How about you wait a few minutes, and I will be there in five minutes since I am dropping Jack off at school right now. With what happened to me a few years back, I'd rather be going inside with you." said Hotch as he waved bye to his son

"OK." said Garcia

A few minutes later Hotch arrived, Garcia unlocked the door and Hotch and Garcia started walking from room to room calling Spencer's and Olivia's names before finding Spencer's and Olivia's cell phones on chargers, two adult and one baby winter jacket missing, and Piper's car seat gone before meeting up in the living room.

"They both left their cellphones here, and this is one of the many times that I wish that the FBI would have implanted a tracking device on all of their agents when it comes to an agent being MIA and not having their cellphones near them." said Garcia while being upset that she can't track down Spencer's or Olivia's phones

"How about we quickly feed and run Einstein before heading over to the BAU and find out if the others have talked to Reid or Olivia." said Hotch as he let Einstein out of his kennel "Do you need to go outside?" asked Hotch as he opened up the patio door

Einstein let out a bark as he sprinted outside and a few minutes later he was eating and drinking water very fast and Hotch looked at Garcia.

"Based on how hungry and thirsty Einstein is, that tells us the Reids have been gone since yesterday evening." said Hotch

When Einstein was done drinking water he walked over to Hotch, sat down and placed his head under Garcia's hand.

"Are you expecting me to burp you?" asked Garcia as she scratched Einstein's back and chest

About 30 seconds later, Einstein let out a burp and Hotch raised his eyebrows at Garcia who laughed.

"After Piper's birth seven months ago, Einstein started having Spencer and Olivia burp him by rubbing his back and chest since he has been watching Piper get burped. Spencer thinks that burping Einstein is weird while Olivia thinks it's hilarious." said Garcia as she ushered Einstein into his kennel and Einstein grabbed Spencer's sock

"He still keeps that sock in his kennel?" asked Hotch

"Yeah he does." said Garcia

"We should probably get going, and I need to let Strauss know what's going on even though there's no sign of struggle here." said Hotch

"Should I grab their phones?" asked Garcia

"Yes." said Hotch

An hour later Hotch, Morgan, JJ, Garcia, Alex, and Rossi were sitting at the round table and Strauss entered the room.

"I assume that Dr. Reid, Olivia, and Piper are currently missing?" asked Strauss

"On Sunday Piper developed a fever while we were celebrating Olivia's birthday at Rossi's, and I told Reid that he could take a few days off to help take care of both Piper and Olivia so Olivia doesn't stress herself out due to being pregnant." said Hotch

"How far along is Olivia?" asked Strauss

"Olivia should be 17 weeks by now, and she told me that when she had an ultrasound last week Albert is developing on schedule and no complications so far." said JJ

"Has Dr. Reid talked to you guys about taking wife and daughter to visit his parents before Olivia can't travel?" asked Strauss

"He would let me know if he was taking a last minute trip to Las Vegas." said Hotch as he nodded at Garcia to track Spencer's and Olivia's credit cards

Garcia started tracking Spencer's and Olivia's credit cards and looked at her teammates and section chief when she was finished.

"There's no purchases of plane tickets, and with Piper being sick I really want to look into Piper's medical records to see if she has been taken to the doctor." said Garcia

Hotch looked at Garcia.

"Go ahead." said Hotch

At that moment Garcia opened up Piper's medical file, and a few minutes later she burst into tears as she looked up the illness that Piper is in the hospital for.

"What's wrong?" asked Hotch

"Last night Piper was admitted to Children's National for Kawasaki Disease." said Garcia as she wiped a few tears

"What is Kawasaki Disease?" asked Morgan

"It's an illness that usually affects babies and kids, and it can cause heart damage if not treated within 10 days. James said Kawasaki Disease is a scary illness for kids and babies to go through because some doctors think that it's lymphoma due to the swollen lymph nodes surrounding the neck while Kawasaki Disease symptoms can be similar to scarlet fever, making it hard to diagnose." said Alex

"And it's been over three days since Piper developed a fever." said Hotch

"Based on the report, our Dr. Reid's medical knowledge saved Piper's life so she should be fine as long as she sees a pediatric cardiologist and has regular echocardiograms or CT scans to make sure that her heart didn't develop any coronary aneurysms." said Garcia

Hotch looked at Strauss.

"Do you think we can take off for a few hours and head over to the hospital? With how worried Reid and Olivia are over Piper, they forgot their phones, and we have them." said Hotch

"Only for a few hours since you guys have those backlogs of consults to work, and please tell Dr. Reid that Piper is in my thoughts." said Strauss

"And I am going to tell Reid that he's on leave for as long as he needs." said Hotch

"I agree that he should take as long time as he needs before coming back." said Strauss

A few minutes later Hotch, Rossi, Blake, Morgan, JJ, and Garcia were in two SUVs driving towards Washington DC.

* * *

Spencer looked at Olivia who was holding a bedside vigil by Piper's crib.

"You need to eat Livy." said Spencer as he wrapped his arms around Olivia

Olivia looked at her husband as tears streamed down her face.

"I just don't want to leave her alone right now." said Olivia as she protectively held her 17 week pregnant belly

Spencer used his thumbs to wipe the tears off Olivia's face.

"Piper has been responding to treatment, and she should be released from here in a few days after she has an echocardiogram." said Spencer as he looked at the monitors that were giving them Piper's vitals "You need to eat for Albert or you will end up being confined to a hospital bed."

"Just call downstairs and have food brought up here for us." said Olivia

Spencer sighed before grabbing the menu that was on one of the tables and grabbing the land line that was in Piper's hospital room.

A few minutes later Spencer got off the phone and looked at Olivia.

"Our food should be up here in 5 minutes since Piper's nurse overheard us and took the liberty of ordering some sandwiches due to you being pregnant. After we are done eating we are going to walk around while a nurse sits in here with Piper." said Spencer

* * *

As Spencer tossed their trash into the garbage can, he looked at Olivia who was stroking Piper's hair despite Piper sleeping off the sedative that the nurse injected earlier due to her crying from the pain that she was dealing with.

"Where should we walk to?" asked Spencer

"The hospital chapel because I want to ask my parents to watch over Piper while praying." said Olivia

* * *

As Spencer and Olivia exited the hospital chapel, they gasped when they saw Hotch, Morgan, Rossi, JJ, Garcia, and Alex leaving the nurses station.

"What are you guys doing here?" asked Spencer as he squeezed Olivia's hand

Olivia looked at her husband.

"I am going to go back to Piper, so how about you talk with your teammates." said Olivia

At that moment Garcia fished Spencer's and Olivia's phones out of her purse and passed them to Spencer and Olivia.

"You two forgot to grab your phones before coming here." said Garcia

Both Spencer and Olivia looked at each other before Spencer spoke up.

"We were so worried about Piper after getting off the phone with Dr. Carter I forgot to grab our phones." said Spencer

"It's OK, since you two needed to get Piper help fast." said Garcia as she hugged Spencer and Olivia before JJ could hug them

Spencer looked at Olivia.

"After talking to Piper's nurse, can you please text me and let me know how Goober is doing?" asked Spencer quietly

Olivia nodded before pecking Spencer on the lips, and 10 minutes later Spencer was in the hospital cafeteria with his teammates drinking coffee while he had a brownie in front of him.

"How did you guys figure out where Olivia, Piper, and I were?" asked Spencer

"I stopped by your house to see if you guys needed anything, and after no answers to the doorbell or your phones I called Hotch." said Garcia

"And I didn't let Garcia use her copy of your house key to go inside until I arrived, and after seeing no signs of struggle, your winter jackets gone, and one car gone we all gathered at the office before I gave Garcia permission to hack into Piper's medical records." said Hotch

"I would have grabbed Olivia's and my phones, but I was focusing on getting Piper to the hospital." said Spencer

"How is Piper responding to treatment?" asked Alex

"So far she is responding to treatment while having to be sedated due to crying from the pain she's dealing with, and she will need an echocardiogram before she is discharged while dealing with some phase two symptoms that looked pretty bad based on the pictures I have seen when researching Kawasaki Disease." said Spencer as he took a sip of coffee

"Based on the look on your face you have more to say." said Rossi

"In a few weeks Piper will be put under anesthesia and have a CT scan of her heart done to make sure that she didn't develop any coronary aneurysms, and if there are none, as a precautionary measure she will be seeing a cardiologist regularly for the next few years while having to take a baby Aspirin regime to help protect her heart." said Spencer as his cellphone vibrated and he saw a text message from Olivia

PIPER'S AWAKE AND SHE'S ASKING FOR YOU. ~ OR

"What was that text about?" asked Garcia

"Piper's awake and she's asking for me. How about you guys come see her, and don't freak out about the IVs and monitors that are attached to her." said Spencer

10 minutes later Spencer entered his daughter's hospital room with his teammates behind him, and Olivia looked at him with Piper in her arms.

"She wants you to hold her." said Olivia

At that moment Spencer gently removed Piper from Olivia's arms and looked at his daughter.

"Your looking a bit better Goober, and I can tell that you hate being in hospitals just like me due to how unhappy you were about being poked and prodded by doctors and nurses." said Spencer as he cradled Piper close to him while watching the IV and monitors that were attached to his daughter

"Daddy." cried Piper

"I know that you are dealing with pain right now, but you should be better in a few days." said Spencer as he held back his own tears that were threatening to fall at the sight of his daughter being miserable while he soothed her to sleep

Hotch watched his youngest agent work on comforting his daughter, and when he saw his youngest not allowing himself to release those few tears that were threatening to fall, he made a mental note about taking Spencer to a separate room and convincing him to release those emotions instead of bottling them in.

A few minutes later Piper was back in her hospital room crib asleep, and Hotch looked at Spencer who removed his glasses and rubbed his eyes.

"Spencer, may I talk to you in private?" asked Hotch

Spencer nodded while he was afraid to speak and looked at Olivia who was being comforted by Alex, JJ, and Garcia.

"She will be fine with us." said Alex as she rubbed Olivia's back like a mother would do for a child and she saw Hotch nod at her, saying that he will deal with Spencer

As Spencer and Hotch left the room, Morgan tried to follow them and Rossi held him back.

"Let's allow Hotch deal with Spencer. How about you and I go check on Einstein and get some clean clothes for Spencer and Olivia." said Rossi

Olivia looked at Rossi as a few tears continued to fall.

"Spencer has an already packed go bag by the front door." said Olivia before looking at Alex "Could you go with them and pick out some clothing for me?"

"Sure." said Alex while JJ and Garcia nodded at her, telling her that they will keep Olivia company

* * *

Hotch draped his tie and suit jacket over a chair as he watched Spencer pace in the small room they were able to have privacy in, and when Spencer stopped pacing he made his way over and placed his hand on Spencer's shoulder.

"I just don't know if I could handle working for the FBI if Piper doesn't survive Kawasaki Disease. Olivia lost a friend to the disease when she was 10 years old." whispered Spencer as he removed his glasses and set them on the table before rubbing his eyes while trying to keep those tears from falling

At that moment Hotch had enough and pulled Spencer into a tight hug like the hug they shared nearly six years ago after Spencer killed Hankel.

"Let it all out like I told you to in the past after waking you up from a nightmare." said Hotch

At that moment Spencer started sobbing on Hotch's shoulder as Hotch rubbed his back like a father would do for his child.

"Piper is going to be alright since medicine is much more advanced these days." said Hotch

"I know." said Spencer as he allowed a few more tears to fall "But I was afraid that I was going to lose my daughter since 1% of children and babies who end up going through Kawasaki Disease don't even survive."

"With how Piper is responding to treatment, she is strong just like her father." said Hotch

A few minutes later after Spencer stopped crying, Hotch released his youngest agent from his embrace and handed Spencer some tissues.

As Spencer wiped his face and blew his nose, Hotch's phone vibrated and he saw a text from Rossi.

ALEX, DEREK, AND I ARE AT SPENCER AND OLIVIA'S HOUSE RIGHT NOW GETTING FRESH CLOTHING FOR SPENCER, OLIVIA, AND PIPER WHILE CHECKING ON EINSTEIN. ~ DR

"Is there a case?" asked Spencer

"Dave, Morgan, and Blake ran over to your house to get clothing for you, Olivia, and Piper while checking on Einstein." said Hotch

"Thanks for checking on Einstein earlier." said Spencer

"When Garcia and I were at your house, we made sure to run and feed him." said Hotch

Spencer nodded his gratitude.

"And Einstein is one strange dog. He had Garcia burp him." said Hotch

Spencer let out a small laugh.

"He was jealous of the attention that Piper was getting." said Spencer

"We should head back to the others since Olivia needs you." said Hotch

"Livy and I haven't called my parents and aunt yet since my aunt has the flu, my mom has been having a bad episode since yesterday causing her to be restrained, and my dad is unreachable at the moment since he is on a two week camping trip with a few other lawyers from his firm." said Spencer

"I want you to take as much time as you need before coming back to work." said Hotch

"Are you sure?" asked Spencer

"Your family is more important than work right now, and Strauss is backing up my decision." said Hotch as he grabbed his tie and suit jacket

"Thanks Hotch." said Spencer

* * *

 _A/N: Did anyone notice that I made sure that Spencer gets that Zugzwang message from the Replicator?_

 _With the illness that Piper was diagnosed with in this chapter, I am a Kawasaki Disease survivor myself since I went through it when I was 19 years old._

 _With the mention of a PICC line, I had one inserted during my week long hospital stay due to how tricky my veins were. The lab tech only had to inject saline into the port before drawing blood without having to wake me up for all the lab work I was subjected to during my hospital stay while having_ Immunoglobulin _infused into my body._

 _Next chapter will take place two weeks later (Magnum Opus) and Piper's going to be fine due to her father's quick thinking about getting Piper to the hospital._


	24. Magnum Opus

__Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds__

 _A/N: Shout out to Mrs. JaganshiReidofHufflepuff for being the 125th reviewer for this story, and also a shout out to OhSnapItsMadison, tannerose5, and southernbeauty13 for reviewing chapter 23._

 _This chapter takes place two weeks after the previous chapter, so Piper is out of the hospital and she didn't develop any coronary aneurysms (She had an echocardiogram before being discharged from the hospital, and she has a CT scan coming up in a future chapter that deals with the episode Broken)._

 _And you will notice that I made changes for Magnum Opus due to Spencer being on leave due to Piper still recovering from Kawasaki Disease._

* * *

Spencer was laying on the couch with Piper on top of him while watching Dr. Who when the doorbell rang.

"Just a minute." shouted Spencer, causing Piper to wake up as he got off the couch while he carried her so he could let their visitor into the house. He opened the door and gave his boss a tired smile.

"Hey Hotch." said Spencer as he allowed Hotch into the house

"How's Piper doing?" asked Hotch as he took assessment of his god daughter who still looked tired in her daddy's arms while noticing that Spencer was also tired

"She's sleeping more often like she did after she was born over seven months ago, and she has been clingy to me." said Spencer

"Piper's still not feeling the best, which is understandable." said Hotch

"I know, and tomorrow morning she has a follow up with Dr. Lopez at 9 AM." said Spencer

"Piper's pediatric cardiologist?" asked Hotch as he thought about the brief chat he had with Dr. Lopez

"She's one of the most recommended pediatric cardiologists in Washington DC. She's a Kawasaki Disease survivor herself, and she made it a lifetime goal to help other kids and babies survive what she went through." said Spencer

"I'm glad that Piper's getting some of the best medical care." said Hotch

"I am too." said Spencer

Hotch looked around and didn't notice Olivia.

"Where's Olivia?" asked Hotch

"I called Maeve and asked her to abduct Olivia for a few hours and take her to the spa." said Spencer

"I bet she wasn't happy with you." said Hotch

"She was angry at me at first, but Maeve and I joined forces and told Olivia that she needs a day of pampering due to being 19 weeks pregnant, despite the glares that Olivia gave me from Maeve's car." said Spencer as he noticed that Piper fell asleep in his arms and adjusted her into a more comfortable position

"She's asleep?" whispered Hotch

Spencer nodded as he stroked Piper's growing hair.

At that moment Hotch looked at the clock before looking at his youngest agent.

"Well I need to go pick up Jack from his friends house since he asked if he could go to his friend's for a play date, and I thought that I should come by and check on you." said Hotch

"Olivia has her 20 week ultrasound on Monday, and after that appointment I will probably be ready to come back to work." said Spencer

"Just focus on Olivia and Piper this week, and call me after Olivia's doctor appointment and let me know if you will be ready to come back." said Hotch

"I appreciate you allowing me to take all this time off, especially since we are still trying to find that unsub who is mimicking the cases that we've solved." said Spencer

"There were times that Haley was upset with me for putting work first instead of her and Jack, and when you and Olivia got married I knew that I had to make sure you don't make the same mistakes as I did with putting work first." said Hotch as he smiled at his sleeping goddaughter who was in her daddy's arms

At that moment Piper opened her eyes and gave her godfather a smile, showing him some of her baby teeth.

"Glad to see you smiling again Piper." said Hotch as he gave his goddaughter a kiss on the cheek

Piper looked at her daddy.

"Seep wit me Daddy." said Piper

"You want me to take a nap with you Goober?" asked Spencer

Hotch looked at his youngest agent.

"You definitely need some sleep since you look exhausted." said Hotch

At that moment Spencer sniffed the air.

"But a diaper change is calling Piper's name first." chuckled Spencer

"I will let myself out while you work on getting a clean diaper on her." said Hotch as he gave his goddaughter another kiss on the cheek before letting himself out of the house

Two hours later Olivia found Spencer and Piper sleeping on the couch with Piper on top of her daddy with Spencer's arm protectively around his daughter, causing her to take a picture before heading to the kitchen and starting dinner.

* * *

The next day Spencer opened up the door and allowed JJ and Garcia inside the house as he pulled on his navy blue pea coat and winter hat.

"You guys leaving?" asked JJ

"We are going out for breakfast before heading to Children's National for Piper's follow up doctor appointment." said Spencer as he checked Piper's diaper bag and made sure that everything they needed for Piper was in there

"When are you coming back to work?" asked Garcia as she set a basket of toys that she brought for Piper on the coffee table

"I told Hotch that I might be coming back on Monday, but he did tell me to take as long as I need since Kawasaki Disease is serious. Piper is going to be seeing a cardiologist for pretty much the rest of her life to make sure that her heart stays healthy." said Spencer

"Even though Henry had that one seizure back in 2011, I have to say that Kawasaki Disease seems much scarier based on the research Will and I did after seeing Piper in the hospital." said JJ

"Where are Olivia and Piper?" asked Garcia

"Olivia's getting Piper ready right now. We ended up pressing the snooze button on the alarm clock a few times so Livy and I are having a late start this morning." said Spencer as he walked over to the patio door to let Einstein into the house and motioned for Einstein to get into his kennel

"Are you ever going to let him have free roam of the house?" asked Garcia

"Einstein still causes trouble around here especially since he loves getting hold of Piper's toys." said Spencer as he pointed at the torn up stuffed animals that were in Einstein's toy basket

At that moment Olivia came into the living room with a bundled up Piper and passed her to Spencer, who placed Piper in her car seat.

"Ready to go Spencer?" asked Olivia before turning her attention to JJ and Garcia "I would love to have girl talk with you two right now, but Spencer and I are running late this morning since we're supposed to meet up with Maeve, Bobby, and Andrea for breakfast before heading to Children's National for Piper's two week follow up doctor appointment." said Olivia as she pulled on her jacket

"Good luck with Piper's doctor appointment." said JJ as she motioned to Garcia that they should get going to work

"Can you let the others know that I am unreachable for the next few hours?" asked Spencer as he grabbed the keys to the SUV

"I will let the others know Spence, and the both of us are here for you two." said JJ as Garcia nodded in agreement

* * *

Dr. Lopez was examining Piper as she talked to Spencer and Olivia.

"Piper definitely looks much better than she was when she was admitted to the hospital." said Dr. Lopez as she looked Piper over while taking pictures of Piper's fingers and toes since the skin was still peeling a bit "And hopefully in a few weeks the peeling skin will stop." said Dr. Lopez as she compared the photos she took while Piper was in the hospital to the ones she just took

"That's great." said Spencer as he took a look at the pictures

"Piper's a very lucky seven month old girl. I had to have heart surgery when I was five years old due to having two coronary aneurysms." said Dr. Lopez as she continued examining Piper

* * *

30 minutes later Spencer and Olivia entered the house. Spencer walked over to the land line so he could see if there's any messages and groaned when he heard a voice mail from Morgan.

"Hey, Reid, it's me. Again. Now, listen, kid, uh, give me a call when you can." said Morgan

Olivia looked at her husband.

"You can go back to work anytime if you want." said Olivia

"I know, but Hotch told me to take all the time I need and come back when I know that I'm ready." said Spencer as his cellphone vibrated, alerting him to a text message from Hotch

MORGAN, ROSSI, JJ, ALEX, AND I ARE CURRENTLY ON ROUTE TO SAN FRANCISCO, SO IF YOU OR OLIVIA NEED ANYTHING PLEASE LET JESSICA KNOW AND SHE WILL HELP YOU AND OLIVIA OUT. ~ AH

Olivia looked at her husband.

"Everything alright?" asked Olivia

"My teammates are on route to San Francisco, and Hotch said that Jessica is willing to help us if we need anything at all." said Spencer as he sent Hotch a text message

THANKS FOR LETTING ME KNOW, AND PLEASE STAY SAFE IN THE FIELD. OLIVIA, PIPER, AND I JUST GOT HOME FROM PIPER'S FOLLOW UP WITH DR. LOPEZ.~ SR

Spencer looked at Olivia who was removing Piper from her car seat.

"I am planning on going back to work on Monday after your ultrasound, but Hotch told me that if I need more time off he will grant it to me." said Spencer

"So for now, when Piper's sleeping we can have some much needed mommy and daddy time after the past few stressful weeks we've had." murmured Olivia as her stomach growled

"But I think that lunch is calling our names first." smirked Spencer as he led Olivia to the kitchen

* * *

Olivia looked at her husband as he entered the bedroom.

"Is she asleep?" asked Olivia

"Yeah she is." said Spencer

Olivia started walking towards her husband.

"Well on that note." said Olivia as she started unbuttoning her husband's long sleeve dress shirt

At that moment the land line on Spencer's night stand rang, and Spencer looked at Olivia with a smirk on his face.

"Just let it go to voice mail and please continue." said Spencer

A few seconds later the ringing stopped while Olivia had tossed Spencer's dress shirt aside as they heard Morgan's voice mail on the answering machine they kept in their bedroom.

"Hey, Spencer, it's Derek. Listen, I got a work question for you. The unsub's exsanguinating victims and removing their eyelids antemortem. Does that mean anything to you? Hit me back." said Morgan

Spencer sighed after hearing the voice mail and looked at Olivia who looked a bit pale at what Morgan said in his message.

"You alright?" asked Spencer softly

"Just call him back and then we can continue what we were doing." said Olivia as she started to unbutton her blouse

Spencer gulped while watching Olivia as he grabbed the land line and dialed Morgan's number.

"What's up, Reid?" asked Morgan

"Have the cornea or pupils been harmed in any way?" asked Spencer

"No, no. Blake said it looked like a very sharp instrument was used." said Morgan

"If he's taking care not to damage the eyes, then line of sight is probably what's important to him." said Spencer

"So this guy wants them to see what he's doing. Hey, Reid. How's Piper doing?" asked Morgan

"I just put her down for a nap, and I gotta go since Livy and I are about to watch a movie." said Spencer before hanging up and looking at his wife "Now where were we?" asked Spencer as he scooped up his wife and carried her to the bed before jumping onto the bed himself

* * *

Olivia looked at Spencer who was digging into his blueberry pancakes.

"Have you thought about calling Anderson and asking him if he can bring you the case files from the current case your teammates are working on?" asked Olivia

"I didn't because we made an agreement about leaving work at work, and when we are home we focus on our marriage and being parents after Piper's birth seven and a half months ago." said Spencer

"I've seen you eying the phone since Derek's phone call yesterday, and I think that I will let it slide once with allowing you to work on a case from home." said Olivia

"I guess I will call him." said Spencer

"Finish your breakfast first." said Olivia

"Yes ma'am." teased Spencer

15 minutes later Spencer called Anderson.

"Anderson." answered Anderson

"Hey Grant, I need a favor." said Spencer

"What can I do for you?" asked Anderson

"Please don't tell my teammates what I asked you to do since I am still on leave." said Spencer

"I promise." said Anderson

"Can you bring me the case file from the case that my teammates are currently working on and a map of San Francisco?" asked Spencer

"I will be at your house in two hours." said Anderson

"Thanks Grant." said Spencer before hanging up and looked at Olivia "What room will you allow me to work in?"

"How about in one of the two guest bedrooms." said Olivia

"OK." said Spencer as he picked up his and Olivia's empty plates

* * *

The doorbell rang, and Spencer made his way to the door. He opened the door when he saw it was Anderson.

"Here are the files that you asked for, and I brought a gift for Piper." said Anderson as he handed Spencer the files and a gift bag

"Thanks Grant." said Spencer

"How's Piper doing?" asked Anderson

"She's dealing with peeling skin right now, but she's getting better." said Spencer

"Where is she?" asked Anderson as he looked around for Piper "I brought Piper a gift, and I was hoping to see her reaction." said Grant

"Piper's taking a nap right now, and so is Olivia. But I will send you a picture of Piper with her gift later." said Spencer

"Well I have to head back to the office." said Anderson

"Does Garcia know that you stopped by?" asked Spencer

"No she doesn't." said Anderson before leaving the house

A few minutes later Spencer was taping the photos that Anderson gathered for him on the wall before reading the files, and before he knew it he was working on a geographical profile.

* * *

Three hours later Spencer noticed something with his geographical profile, and he grabbed the land line and called Morgan while watching Piper's sleeping form on his iPad.

"What's up, kid?" asked Morgan

"If it is about the art, then it's clear the disposal sites are scattered around the Mission District area." said Spencer as he continued to work on his geographical profile

"Wait a minute. How did you know?" asked Morgan

"I had Anderson bring over some of the files." said Spencer

"All right. All right, hold on a second. Let me patch in Garcia." said Morgan as he called Garcia while keeping Spencer on the line and a few seconds later Morgan addressed him "Reid."

"Garcia, you should pull a list of all the art galleries in San Francisco." said Spencer

"Reid, how is Piper doing?" asked Garcia

"She's taking a much needed nap right now since her body is still recovering. Thanks for asking. And Olivia is at the grocery store right now picking up a few groceries to help curve her pregnancy cravings." said Spencer

"What is she craving?" asked Garcia

"I don't even want to tell you guys since I felt grossed out when Olivia told me what she is craving." said Spencer as he heard Garcia type

"Okay, galleries. I got a lot." said Garcia

At that moment Spencer took a peek at his iPad and he noticed Piper standing up in her crib with her hands hanging onto the support railings while staring at the camera that he had installed in her nursery, babbling away.

"I have to go since I just took a peek at my iPad and noticed that Piper's awake and standing up in her crib babbling away, but focus on the Mission District." said Spencer before hanging up and rushing towards the nursery.

"Daddy!" exclaimed Piper when she noticed her favorite man

He smiled when he saw Piper standing up in her crib while holding the railings "There's my silly Goober." cooed Spencer as he scooped Piper from her crib before putting her on her changing table and starting on her diaper

"Daddy." beamed Piper as her daddy changed her diaper

"What did mommy feed you?" asked Spencer as he gagged a bit at the smell, knowing that diarrhea is expected while Piper recovers from Kawasaki Disease

"Food." giggled Piper

At that moment Spencer heard a giggle from the doorway of Piper's nursery.

"Super Daddy finally gagged at one of Piper's stinky diapers?" asked Olivia in a teasing matter

Spencer shot his wife a dirty look before looking at his daughter.

"How about I give you a bath while mommy fixes dinner." said Spencer as he tickled Piper's belly, causing her to laugh

"Someone's feeling much better." said Olivia

At that moment Spencer's stomach let out a loud growl and Olivia giggled again.

"Give Piper her bath, and when you come downstairs dinner will be done." said Olivia

15 minutes later Spencer was giving Piper her bath while singing some silly children's songs to her. When he was about to sing another song, Piper smiled when she saw her favorite woman.

"Mommy!" exclaimed Piper

At that moment Spencer turned his head and saw a smirking Olivia holding up her phone, realizing that she was recording them.

"How long have you been filming this?" asked Spencer with a playful look on his face

"The past five minutes, and I am thinking about sending this video to your father and your teammates." said Olivia

At that moment Spencer grabbed the cup that he used to rinse the baby shampoo off of Piper's soft, light brown curly hair, filled it with some soapy water and tossed the water at Olivia who quickly managed to avoid getting her phone wet despite her shirt getting a bit wet.

"Spencer!" laughed Olivia as she continued to film the moment

At that moment Spencer's stomach let out a growl and Olivia laughed again as she saved the video and pocketed her phone.

"Dinner should be finished in 10 minutes, so get Piper dried off and into her pajamas and come downstairs." said Olivia

"What did you make?" asked Spencer as he pulled the plug and scooped Piper out of the tub. He wrapped her in a fluffy towel and carried her to her nursery

"I decided to make a homemade pizza, and half of the pizza contains toppings that I am craving." said Olivia

"As long as my half of the pizza contains mushrooms I will be fine." said Spencer as he quickly dried Piper before putting her in a dry diaper as Piper babbled at her parents

Olivia nodded before leaving her two favorite people to go check on the pizza.

* * *

Spencer pulled on a pair of jeans before pulling on a Cal-tech t-shirt and grabbing the sweat shirt that Olivia gave him for Christmas as he mumbled to himself about the case his teammates were working on while pulling the sweatshirt over his head.

"What are you thinking about?" asked Olivia as she pulled her sweatshirt over her head

"I think I just cracked the case my teammates are working on." said Spencer

"Are you going to fly out there?" asked Olivia

"It's a five hour flight and calling Morgan would be faster." said Spencer

"And it's only 4 AM in San Francisco so there's a huge chance that your teammates are still sleeping. If you don't go, you're sleeping on the couch until your teammates are back home." said Olivia

"Fine." said Spencer as he started to grab more professional clothing out of the closet and Olivia grabbed hold of his arms

"What your wearing is fine. I've seen Derek and David wearing jeans at the office when I would bring Piper to visit you and your teammates at the BAU." said Olivia as she played with the strings on the custom made sweatshirt she had made for her husband

"But wearing this sweatshirt?" asked Spencer as he pointed at the phrase that Olivia had put on the sweatshirt SUPER DADDY

"You are a super daddy while I am a super mommy." said Olivia as she winked at her husband while playing with the strings of her own sweatshirt that said SUPER MOMMY

10 minutes later Spencer was at the front door by Olivia and Piper and looked at his little girl who was on her mommy's hip.

"Daddy is going to meet your aunts and uncles in San Francisco, so enjoy your time with mommy." said Spencer as he kissed his daughter's head

"Buh buh Daddy." said Piper as she gave her daddy a sloppy kiss on the cheek

Spencer then knelt down and placed his hands on Olivia's 19 week pregnant belly.

"Daddy loves you Albert." said Spencer as he kissed Olivia's belly and smiled when he felt a kick

"What about me?" pouted Olivia

Spencer stood up to his full height and pecked Olivia on the lips.

"I love you, and I promise to call or text you when I get to San Francisco. Hopefully Hotch doesn't get mad at me for coming back today instead of Monday." said Spencer

"Just tell Aaron that I gave you my favorite threat." teased Olivia as she shoved her husband towards the door

A few minutes later Spencer got into a cab and waved at his two girls who waved back at him.

"Where too?" asked the cab driver

"Dulles International Airport please." said Spencer as his phone vibrated, indicating a text message from Olivia

GET SOME SLEEP DURING THAT FIVE HOUR LONG FLIGHT SINCE WE HAD A LONG NIGHT LAST NIGHT. ~ OR

* * *

As Spencer waited for the cab that he asked for, he pulled out his phone and sent Olivia a text message.

MADE IT TO SAN FRANCISCO, AND HEADING TO THE POLICE DEPARTMENT. ~ SR

A minute later Spencer's phone vibrated.

DID YOU GET SOME SLEEP? ~ OR

Spencer smiled at his wife's text message as he typed a reply while the cab that he called for approached him.

SLEPT DURING THE ENTIRE FLIGHT. AND I AM ABOUT TO GET INTO THE CAB THAT I CALLED. ~ SR

* * *

Spencer looked at the officer and flashed his badge.

"My teammates are here." said Spencer

"You're from the BAU?" asked the clerk

Spencer nodded.

"Just head in that direction and you will see your teammates." said the clerk as she smiled at the young agent

"Thanks." said Spencer as he headed towards the room that his teammates were in and quietly listened to them while he waited for the moment to approach

"We got the report back from the lab. They couldn't extract any DNA from the painting. They said something about there only being red blood cells." said Detective Miles

"Hmm. He removed the white blood cells. Plasma." said Alex

"Why would he take the plasma?" asked Rossi

"It would make it thicker. Easier to use as a paint." said Hotch

"What type of equipment would it take to do that?" asked Morgan

"You can easily buy a centrifuge online these days for a couple hundred bucks." said Alex

"What other reasons would he have for separating the plasma from the blood?" asked Hotch

At that moment Spencer took a couple more steps forward from his hiding place and spoke up.

"It's a habit." said Spencer as he approached his teammates

Hotch, JJ, Alex, Rossi, and Morgan all turned their heads toward where Spencer was standing and opened their mouths in shock when they saw him wearing jeans and a sweat shirt that said SUPER DADDY since it's a rare sight to see Spencer wearing jeans and a sweat shirt.

"Reid." said Morgan as he looked at Spencer in shock

"Spence." said JJ as she made her way over to Spencer and hugged him

"I didn't expect you back until after Olivia's 20 week ultrasound. You sure you're ready?" asked Hotch

"No, but I think I figured something out." said Spencer before looking at Detective Miles "I'm Dr. Spencer Reid."

"Detective Lennon Miles." said Detective Miles

"I was on family leave due to my seven month old daughter ending up in the hospital two weeks ago." said Spencer

"Hope your daughter's alright." said Detective Miles

"She will be, but her heart is going to be monitored by CT scans and echocardiograms for the next few years." said Spencer

Hotch looked at Spencer.

"Care to explain what the unsub's habit is?" asked Hotch

"He's a hemophiliac." said Spencer

"That would explain his obsession with blood. He can't bleed without a fear of dying." said Rossi

"It's also why he would separate the plasma from the blood before painting with it." said Alex

"It's an antiquated treatment, but some hemophiliacs can inject plasma into their wounds, kick-starting the clotting process that's ineffective in their own systems." said Spencer

At that moment Morgan dialed Garcia's number.

"Talk about it." answered Garcia

"Hey, girlie, I need a list of hemophiliacs in San Francisco." said Morgan

"Vague. So vague. Okay." said Garcia as she started typing

At that moment Spencer decided to talk to let Garcia know that he's with his teammates at the moment.

"Garcia, for his obsession to be this profound, he most likely has the more severe version of the disease. It's type B Christmas disease." said Spencer

"Reid, happy to hear you made it safe and sound." said Garcia

"Thank you, Garcia." as he gave his teammates a slight smile

"Okay, Christmas disease. It does not sound very jolly." said Garcia

"It was named after the first known case, Stephen Christmas." said Spencer

"All right, I got 15 people who have trouble clotting." said Garcia

"He wouldn't stray too far from the art world." said JJ

"Most likely works in and around the art community, but not as an artist." said Spencer

"And he's a loner. So look for people with jobs where they don't interact with the public." said Hotch

"Yeah. Yeah. I got 3. Stock boy at a local supermarket, an art blogger, and a custodian." said Garcia

"The victims have different blood types. If he's taking the plasma out of the blood, he must be a universal recipient. Any of them with AB-positive blood?" asked Alex

"Specificity. I dig it. Okay, if I factor in those "B" names I was working on" said Garcia as she typed "And bingo is his name-o. Actually, his name is Bryan Hughes. He is an AB-positive hemophiliac who works as a janitor at the Bay Area Museum of Art, and before you ask, yes, his address has been sent to your phones." said Garcia

"You're the best, baby girl." said Morgan before hanging up

"Dave, you and Blake take the museum. The rest of us will take the residence." said Hotch

Rossi got up and patted Spencer on the back.

"I love that Super Daddy sweatshirt that you're wearing, since you are a Super Daddy." said Rossi before walking away as Alex approached him

"I'm doing OK since Piper's going to be OK." said Spencer

"Yeah. But it's good to see you." said Alex before walking away

Hotch approached Spencer.

"You really don't need to be here if you're not ready, or you could have called and told us over the phone like the two phone calls you had with Morgan." said Hotch

"Olivia told me to go or I would be sleeping on the couch until this case is over." said Spencer

Hotch gave his youngest agent a slight smirk.

"Your wife's favorite threat." said Hotch

"At least 20 and a half more weeks until she stops giving me that threat." said Spencer

"But then you and Olivia are going to be dealing with two babies instead of one." said Hotch

"I know." said Spencer

"We're all here for you if you need help with Piper or finishing Albert's nursery." said Hotch

"Thank you." said Spencer before Hotch walked away to meet up with Morgan

At that moment Spencer fixed himself a cup of coffee before sitting down at the table where his teammates were sitting and a few minutes later a man approached him with an officer and Spencer listened to what Alan Archer had to say before calling Morgan.

"Hey, what you got, pretty boy?" asked Morgan

"I think Hughes may have his next victim. An Alan archer just came in and reported his boss missing. Madison Riley owns an art gallery in the Mission District. Said there was blood, signs of a struggle. Hughes even left a painting of his on the wall this time. It's the same signature and it's definitely made of blood, which got me thinking about watching all the lab work that Piper went through. If this guy's a tortured artist searching for approval, in his mind there may be only one way to get it." rambled Spencer

"Suicide." finished Morgan "Thanks, Reid." said Morgan before hanging up

* * *

Spencer looked at his teammates as they entered the station.

"Suicide by cop?" asked Spencer

"Yes, and there were two victims there. We saved Madison, and there was another victim there dead." said Hotch

At that moment Morgan decided to lighten things up a bit since he didn't get to tease Spencer about his sweat shirt earlier.

"Ready to go home Super Daddy?" asked Morgan

"Yep." said Spencer before looking at Morgan "The next time you call me to consult while I am on leave, call my cellphone instead of the land line since Olivia was with me when you left that voice mail." said Spencer

"Did she get sick after hearing that voice mail?" asked Morgan

"Her face turned a bit pale, but luckily she didn't run off to the bathroom to vomit. When I was going through the case files and working on that geographical profile from home, Olivia had me work in one of the guest bedrooms and she promised to stay out of that room until I got back." said Spencer before going to fix himself a cup of coffee and get a snack

Hotch who overheard the conversation approached Morgan.

"I agree that you should call Reid's cell phone next time, but the next time Reid takes some time off to be with his family, I don't want you to call him for help or a consult." said Hotch

"We would have been here much longer if I didn't call him." said Morgan

"I know, but I just don't want him to make the mistake of putting work first instead of putting his wife and children first." said Hotch

"Like you did." said Morgan quietly as he watched Spencer show JJ something on his phone

* * *

Spencer was watching the sun set as he flew home with his teammates, and a few minutes later his cellphone rang. He smiled when he saw that it was Olivia.

"It's Livy." said Spencer to JJ

"Answer it." said JJ as she replied to Will's text message

At that moment Spencer answered his phone.

"I'm flying home with my teammates right now." said Spencer

"Well, someone wanted to hear you before I put her to bed." said Olivia as she put her phone on speaker "Daddy's on the phone."

"Daddy!" exclaimed Piper

"I'm on my way home Goober." said Spencer with a wide smile on his face

"I seepy Daddy." said Piper

"I know Goober, but I will be home when you wake up." said Spencer

"Luv ya Daddy." said Piper

"Love you too Piper." said Spencer

"What about Albert and me?" asked Olivia

"I love you and our unborn son." said Spencer

"Well Piper just fell asleep." said Olivia as she put Piper into her crib before leaving Piper's nursery "How much longer until you get home?"

Spencer quickly did the math in his head before speaking up.

"Only one more hour until I am back in Virginia, and I think one of my teammates is going to offer me a ride home." said Spencer

"Well since it's not going to be too late when you get home, I have plans for you Dr. Reid." said Olivia

"Really, Dr. Reid?" asked Spencer with a slight smirk on his face

"Yes, so you better come straight home." said Olivia

"I promise." said Spencer before hanging up

After hanging up JJ looked at Spencer.

"Olivia staying up for you?" asked JJ

Spencer coughed a bit before speaking up.

"Yeah she is." said Spencer

"So she wants mommy and daddy time?" asked JJ

Spencer nodded as his face turned red.

"With Henry being four years old, Will and I don't have a lot of mommy and daddy time anymore." said JJ

"Can you believe it that I am sad that Piper's already seven and a half months old?" asked Spencer as he thought about how much Piper grew since the day he held her for the first time

"At least in about 21 weeks you will be holding Albert for the first time." said JJ

At that moment Morgan joined Spencer and Olivia.

"Kid. I didn't mean for you to come all the way out there." said Morgan

"I know, but Olivia gave me her favorite threat if I didn't join you guys in San Francisco." said Spencer

"She was going to make you sleep on the couch." smirked JJ

"Yep." said Spencer

"Listen, if you or Olivia need anything at all, you just have to ask." said Morgan

"Actually, if you guys don't mind, I could use some help with a few things." said Spencer as he thought about the household chores that had to get done and Albert's nursery

"Name it." said Morgan

"I am working on the finishing touches of Albert's nursery, and I can use some help so it can be finished within an hour since I have finished painting. Plus with how busy Olivia and I have been with Piper, we need some help cleaning the house." said Spencer

"I would be glad to help you finish up the nursery." said Morgan

"And Penelope and I would be glad to help clean up the house." said JJ

"And there's one other thing." said Spencer

"You want to have a date night with Olivia?" asked JJ

"I had dinner reservations so I could take Olivia out for dinner for her birthday, but the day of the reservations was when Piper was still in the hospital. And yesterday I ended up making those dinner reservations for Saturday night, and I need a sitter since Diane has a date that night." said Spencer

"I will babysit Piper." said JJ as she thought about spending time with her goddaughter

* * *

After Morgan helped Spencer move the last piece of furniture into place, he looked around the nursery.

"I really like this southwestern theme you got going on here." said Morgan

"Are you ever going to have kids?" asked Spencer before turning a bit playful "You're turning 40 this year, while I am going to be holding both my son and daughter when I turn 32 this year." teased Spencer

"I rather be a doting uncle right now, but you better watch your back due to your smart-ass remark about how old I am going to be turning this year." said Morgan as he ruffled Spencer's growing hair

"I think that your godson might change your mind about having kids." said Spencer

At that moment Morgan looked at Spencer in shock.

"Are you going to say something?" asked Spencer

"You and Olivia want me to be Albert's godfather?" asked Morgan

Spencer nodded.

"I'm honored kid." said Morgan as he pulled Spencer into a hug

"There are some things that you can teach Albert better than me." said Spencer

"Who is godmother?" asked Morgan

"Olivia is telling Albert's godmother right now." said Spencer before hearing Garcia squeal

"Baby Girl is sharing godparent duties with me?" asked Morgan

"Yep." said Spencer

At that moment Garcia rushed into the nursery and pulled Spencer into a hug as Olivia and JJ came into the nursery while JJ held Piper on her hip.

"I'm so excited about being Albert's fairy godmother." said Garcia before looking around the nursery "At least the nursery is already completed, and I love what you did with this room Boy Wonder."

"I thought that having the theme deal with the American southwest would be perfect for our son." said Spencer as he wrapped an arm around Olivia and smiled when he felt his son kick

"Hopefully Albert looks just like his daddy." said Olivia as she tilted her head up and kissed her husband on the lips as Garcia took a picture of one of her favorite couples kissing before Piper wanted her daddy's attention

"Daddy." said Piper

Spencer let go of his wife and extracted Piper from JJ's arms.

"Hopefully Albert ends up being a mama's boy because I am jealous." muttered Olivia as she watched Spencer give Piper a kiss on the cheek before Piper gave her daddy a sloppy kiss on the cheek

* * *

 _A/N: With the unsub having Hemophilia B in this episode, I am highly familiar with bleeding disorders since I have Type One Von Willebrand's Disease myself which is a bleeding disorder like Hemophilia. One of the huge differences between Hemophilia and Von Willebrand's is that Von Willebrand's Disease can affect males and females equally while Hemophilia is mainly diagnosed in males while females can be carriers._


	25. PTSD, Shocking News, and 8x14 Part 1

__Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds__

 _A/N: Shout out to OhSnapItsMadison, Chermayne, and Mrs. JaganshiReidofHufflepuff for reviewing chapter 24._

 _It's now February 6th 2013 (Wednesday), in this story which means that Olivia is 20 weeks pregnant. And I know that I had Olivia's doctor appointment being scheduled for February 4th (Monday), but Dr. Carter had to deliver a baby so Olivia's doctor appointment got scheduled for February 6th instead._

 _Let's just say that the shocking news that Spencer and Olivia are given in this chapter came out of the blue as a way to give Spencer extra happiness while having to deal with post traumatic stress disorder symptoms in this chapter due to it being the sixth anniversary of his abduction and torture._

 _I am warning you guys that there is a small moment when Spencer would be considered a bit out of character based on the language he uses, but I thought that with the circumstances he is dealing with in this chapter (Post traumatic stress disorder) his out of character moment would be acceptable._

* * *

Olivia walked out of the bathroom, and she noticed her husband tossing in turning in bed while mumbling Tobias making her realize that her husband is having a nightmare since she knew that it was the anniversary of her husband's abduction and torture.

"Leave Olivia and Piper alone Tobias." mumbled Spencer as tears streamed down his face before letting out a scream while not waking up at all

At that moment Olivia knew that she needed to wake up Spencer before he woke up Piper, and a few seconds later she splashed cold water onto Spencer's face.

Spencer woke up to the cold water hitting his face, and he quickly shot out of bed and ran blindly in the master bathroom and threw up into the toilet as Olivia made her way over to Spencer and started rubbing rubbing his back.

A few minutes later Spencer was brushing his teeth as Olivia leaned against the doorway watching her husband in concern. When Spencer put his toothbrush back into the medicine cabinet, he looked at his wife who was giving him a sympathetic look.

"I'm sorry for waking you up." said Spencer as he and Olivia left the bathroom

"I was already awake since Albert has been messing with my bladder so I had to urinate, and you were tossing and turning when I came back into the bedroom." said Olivia as she opened up a dresser drawer and pulled out some fresh pajamas for her husband "Your covered in sweat, so how about you take a shower while I change the sheets and comforter since I used water to wake you up." said Olivia

"OK." said Spencer as he walked into the bathroom and turned on the shower

10 minutes later Spencer exited the bathroom, and he found his glasses on the nightstand and put them on as he watched Olivia make the finishing touches of making the bed.

"Did I wake up Piper at all?" asked Spencer

"No, but how about we check on Piper before going downstairs for some tea and a late night snack so we can talk about your nightmare before we go back to bed." said Olivia

Spencer nodded, and about 15 minutes later Spencer and Olivia were eating S'mores and drinking some tea.

"That was some nightmare that you had since you were begging Tobias to leave Piper and me alone before letting out a scream." said Olivia

"I don't want to talk about it." mumbled Spencer

Olivia glared at her husband, and Spencer realized that Olivia was going to force him to talk.

At that moment Spencer started to tell Olivia about his nightmare, and when he was finished he broke down into tears.

At that moment Olivia got out of her chair and embraced her husband as he sobbed, and a few minutes later Spencer stopped crying and Olivia handed him a tissue.

"Its the anniversary of your abduction and torture, and we both knew that you are going to be dealing with symptoms of post traumatic stress disorder this week." said Olivia

"I know, but I keep telling myself that Tobias Hankel is dead since tomorrow will be six years since killing Tobias Hankel." said Spencer

"How about you finish your tea and snack, and then we will head back to bed." said Olivia

Spencer looked at the clock on the microwave and saw that it was 3:30 in the morning.

"At least I am showing up late at work today since you have your 20 week ultrasound in five and a half hours." said Spencer

"I'm glad that you were able to get this morning off after explaining to Aaron that we had to reschedule my ultrasound due to Dr. Carter being called in due to another expecting mother being in labor." said Olivia

"Can we go out for breakfast instead of cooking breakfast here?" asked Spencer

"You just want to take advantage of some extra time to sleep in." teased Olivia

"With me dealing with a nightmare, I think sleeping in is a good idea even though Piper will wake us up to be fed and have a diaper change." said Spencer

"But we will be losing sleep after Albert's birth." said Olivia

* * *

Four hours later Spencer and Olivia were sitting at a booth, and Piper was sitting in a high chair that the restaurant provided them babbling away while saying words that she had mastered when a waitress in her late 30's approached them.

"How old is your little girl?" asked the waitress as she smiled at Piper

"She's seven and a half months, and we are expecting our second child." said Spencer

Piper looked at her daddy.

"Dada?" asked Piper as she looked at the waitress with a confused look on her face before making the sign saying that she wants her pacifier

Spencer smiled at his daughter as he handed Piper her pacifier as the waitress looked at Olivia's baby bump.

"How much longer until the baby's born?" asked the waitress

"20 more weeks and we are having a boy." said Olivia

The waitress took a closer look, and she thought back to eight years prior when she was 20 weeks pregnant like the young woman in front of her.

"You look like your seven months pregnant instead of 20 weeks pregnant for a woman as petite as you, and if your only 20 weeks pregnant I might assume that your unborn son is hiding his twin brother or sister during your doctor appointments." said the woman

Spencer and Olivia looked at each other with wide eyes before Spencer was the one to come out of his shock first while Olivia thought back to a previous conversation that she had with one of the professors at Georgetown.

"Are you sure?" asked Spencer

"When I was dealing with my second pregnancy eight years ago I was told that I only had one baby during the ultrasounds I had, but when I had the big 20 week ultrasound I was told that I was carrying twins instead of just one baby." said the woman before continuing "Did you have your 20 week ultrasound yet?"

"My doctor appointment is in 35 minutes." said Olivia

"You might just want to tell your doctor that you might be carrying twins, but I will let you two finish eating breakfast so you guys aren't late for your doctor appointment." said the woman as she handed Spencer and Olivia their bill before walking away to help another customer

Spencer looked at Olivia.

"Did you have some suspicions about Albert hiding a twin?" asked Spencer

"I have thought about it since that woman is the second woman to ask me if I am carrying twins." said Olivia

"Who was the first one to ask?" asked Spencer

"Professor Johnson." said Olivia

"She is a mother of twins herself." said Spencer

"I guess we will tell Dr. Carter that Albert might be hiding his twin brother or sister." said Olivia

* * *

45 minutes later Dr. Carter looked at Spencer and Olivia as she entered the room.

"Where's Piper?" asked Dr. Carter as she started performing her check up

"We dropped her off at Georgetown's Daycare center before coming here." said Olivia

"How has she been doing the past few weeks?" asked Dr. Carter

"She's been doing much better." said Olivia

"Does Piper have an echocardiogram or CT scan coming up?" asked Dr. Carter

"She has a CT scan scheduled for the 15th and then we are going to be given the results on the 19th." said Spencer

"We were so scared when she was diagnosed with Kawasaki Disease, but we were glad that Piper made it through treatment." said Olivia

At that moment Dr. Carter finished her check up on Olivia, and a tech came into the room with ultrasound equipment and she looked at Spencer and Olivia.

"You two ready to see your son and hear his heartbeat?" asked Dr. Carter

"Yes we are." said Olivia as she grabbed Spencer's hand

"You might need to find out if Albert is hiding a twin brother or sister, because we have a few suspicions that Albert might be hiding his twin." said Spencer

Dr. Carter looked at Olivia.

"I will take a peek because the nurse that took your vitals earlier wrote a note about her concern about the weight you have gained since your last appointment." said Dr. Carter as she squeezed some gel onto Olivia's belly so she could start the pelvic ultrasound

A short while later, Dr. Carter looked at the young couple after studying the pictures.

"I guess your suspicions about expecting twins are correct, and I can't believe that I missed something like this. Its common that twins aren't noticed until later in the pregnancy, and a few of my colleagues have made this same mistake." said Dr. Carter as she motioned Spencer to come closer so he could take a peek

"We were told by the waitress who was serving us this morning that she is a mother of twins herself, and she didn't know that she was expecting twins until her 20 week ultrasound and she recommenced that we talk to you." said Spencer as he looked at the monitor and he smiled at Olivia when he noticed the gender of Albert's twin "It seems like Albert was hiding his twin sister, and I don't blame him for wanting to protect his twin sister." said Spencer

Dr. Carter took a look and she nodded at Spencer to indicate that he is correct on the gender.

"I'm excited about expecting another daughter." said Olivia as a few tears streamed down her face

"I am too." said Spencer as he wiped Olivia's tears off of her face

At that moment Olivia looked at her husband.

"Even though we now have two daughters, that doesn't mean that you can have a moat and draw bridge built around our yard." said Olivia

"Chasity belts?" asked Spencer as he gave his wife his famous puppy dog eye look

"No." said Olivia firmly

At that moment Dr. Carter decided to end Spencer's and Olivia's banter.

"When it comes to when the twins are ready to be born there might be a 50% chance that I will have to deliver the twins by C-section if the twin that's coming first is breech or the placentas covering the cervix." said Dr. Carter

"Understood." said Spencer and Olivia in unison before Spencer looked at Olivia "Do you want to try for another baby in a few years?" asked Spencer

"Maybe it would be nice to have one more son so we would have two of each." said Olivia

Spencer nodded as he looked at his watch.

"You have class soon, and I have an hour long drive to Quantico." said Spencer

"I am going to go clean myself up." said Olivia

At that moment Spencer helped his wife up and headed towards the bathroom, and Dr. Carter looked at Spencer.

"May I see some new pictures of Piper?." asked Dr. Carter

Spencer grinned as he pulled out his phone, and he decided to show Dr. Carter one of the videos Olivia sent to his phone.

"I can't believe that February 17th will be eight months since I delivered Piper." said Dr. Carter as she looked at a picture of Piper grinning in her high chair while Cheerios were scattered on the floor "What's with the Cheerios on the floor?" asked Dr. Carter

"One of her favorite hobbies is to give the family dog her Cheerios, and I ended up calling her Goober due to how silly she was being on the morning of Olivia's 29th birthday as I was preparing breakfast in bed for Olivia and myself." said Spencer as he started to tell Dr. Carter about how he started to call his daughter Goober

* * *

10 minutes later Spencer and Olivia were leaving Georgetown University Hospital and they were walking hand in hand while talking.

"I am thinking that since we are now going to be parents of three kids instead of two kids, I am deciding to become a stay at home mom after the school year ends. And when the kids start going to school, I might go back to teaching." said Olivia

"I support your decision Olivia." said Spencer

"I think that instead of naming our second daughter Melody, our second daughter should have a name that starts with the letter A and you get to pick the name since I picked Piper's name." said Olivia

"What about Ava after your childhood friend who passed away from Kawasaki Disease?" asked Spencer gently

"Ava Diana Reid." said Olivia

"I guess we figured out a name for Albert's twin sister, and I think that my mom will love her second granddaughter's name." said Spencer

"How about we tell your parents in person about us expecting twins instead of over Skype. With me being 20 weeks pregnant with twins, I am probably going to be banned from flying before reaching the third trimester." said Olivia

"I will talk to Hotch about taking a weekend off so we can make that trip. Mom has been begging that we fly out to Vegas before you can't travel, and she wants to see her granddaughter since she cried over the phone when I told her about Piper needing a CT scan next week Friday." said Spencer

"Later on tonight we will need to talk about where Ava should have her nursery, but I know that you need to get to work before Penelope sends out the cavalry." said Olivia

"See you later?" asked Spencer as he gave his wife a peck on the lips

"Call me if you get a case." said Olivia

"I promise, and for now I am going to tell Hotch the news about us expecting twins instead." said Spencer

"You can tell JJ if you want, and Derek and Penelope will be godparents for both Ava and Albert." said Olivia

Spencer nodded at his wife as he got into his Volvo.

* * *

Spencer sat his messenger bag down by his desk, and he draped his coat over his chair JJ looked up from the file that she was working on.

"Hotch wants to see you in his office." said JJ

"I have a feeling why he would need to speak to me." said Spencer and a minute later he was knocking on Hotch's open door

Hotch looked up and saw that his youngest agent finally arrived since he gave Spencer permission to come in late.

"Come in and shut the door." said Hotch

Spencer closed the door before sitting in front of Hotch's desk.

Hotch looked at Spencer and noticed how weary Spencer looked, and he didn't blame Spencer since he knew what time of the year it was.

"You look tired, and I know that your tiredness isn't because of Piper since she's pretty much sleeping through the night." said Hotch

"Olivia had to wake me up from a nightmare last night, and I ended up rushing to the bathroom to vomit. And Olivia wouldn't let me go back to sleep until I told her about the nightmare, and it was scary since it involved Hankel, Olivia, and Piper." said Spencer as he started to tell Hotch about his nightmare

When Spencer finished telling Hotch about his nightmare, Hotch gave Spencer a sympathetic look.

"It is the sixth anniversary of your abduction and torture which is very understandable that you would be dealing with nightmares right now since we both know how anniversaries of traumatic events can affect us." said Hotch

"I know, but what I am going to say is way out of character for me because I didn't want to say this in front of Piper since she's starting to mimic what Olivia and I say since her vocabulary is growing." said Spencer before taking a deep breath "Pardon my French, but post traumatic stress disorder is a bitch."

Hotch chuckled a bit before speaking up.

"I don't blame you for using your out of character language at all." said Hotch with a slight smile on his face before becoming serious "Do you want to talk to Dr. Merrill today, I received an email from her this morning saying that's she is available all morning if you want to talk to her since she knew that its the anniversary of your abduction and torture." said Hotch

"I guess I will take her offer since she wants to see pictures of Piper during my next psych evaluation with her." said Spencer

At that moment Hotch picked up his phone and called Dr. Merrill and Spencer listened to Hotch's side of the conversation and a few minutes later Hotch looked at Spencer.

"She will here in 10 minutes, and she is willing to talk to you in here while I have a meeting with Strauss." said Hotch

"Mind if I hang out in here before Dr. Merrill gets here?" asked Spencer before continuing "I just don't want to be bombarded with questions about how Olivia's ultrasound went."

"Sure." said Hotch before continuing "How did Olivia's 20 week ultrasound appointment go?" asked Hotch

Spencer grinned as he pulled the ultrasound photo from the pocket of his cardigan sweater and passed it to Hotch who studied it and noticed another baby and the gender that's typed in.

"Seemed like Albert was hiding his twin sister from you, Olivia, and Olivia's doctor the entire time." said Hotch as he gave his youngest agent rare smile

Spencer grinned at his boss.

"Dr. Carter mentioned that sometimes a twin doesn't get noticed until the 20th week ultrasound, but Olivia and I are exited about having twins since Olivia and I both wanted to have a big family." said Spencer

"How are you and Olivia going to be dealing with three babies under the age of one at the same time?" asked Hotch

"Olivia decided that after Albert and Ava are born, she is going to become a stay at home mom until the kids are old enough for school." said Spencer

"I thought that you would name your second daughter Melody?" asked Hotch

"Olivia's childhood friend who died from Kawasaki Disease was named Ava." said Spencer

"Have a middle name for Ava?" asked Hotch

"Ava Diana Reid. I came up with the first name while Olivia decided on the middle name." said Spencer

"I think your mother is going to love Ava's name." said Hotch

"I think so too, but I am glad that Olivia and I really didn't have any trouble at all with naming the kids." said Spencer

At that moment there was a knock on Hotch's office door, and Hotch spoke up.

"Come in." said Hotch

At that moment Dr. Merrill entered Hotch's office, and she smiled at both agents.

"Thanks for calling me Agent Hotchner." said Dr. Merrill

"Well I have a meeting to head too, and I told Reid that you two can talk in here." said Hotch as he got up from his desk and left his office

Dr. Merrill motioned Spencer to sit in the couch as she closed the blinds.

"Before we get started, I wanted to congratulate you for earning that PhD in psychology." said Dr. Merrill

"Thanks. It was my wife's idea to bump up my BA in psychology into a PhD, and I finished it before Thanksgiving last year." said Spencer

"And thank you for the birth announcement last year, may I see some pictures of your daughter?" asked Dr. Merrill

Spencer gave Dr. Merrill a small smile as he pulled out his phone and started showing Dr. Merrill some pictures of Piper and she noticed a picture of Olivia with a baby bump while holding Piper.

"How far is your wife?" asked Dr. Merrill

"Olivia is 20 weeks pregnant, and this morning we just found out that she is carrying twins." grinned Spencer

"Genders?" asked Dr. Merrill

"A boy and a girl, and Olivia and I are both excited about expecting twins." said Spencer

"How old is Piper now?" asked Dr. Merrill

"Piper is seven and a half months old, and she ended up in the hospital three weeks ago." said Spencer

"What happened?" asked Dr. Merrill

"She ended up in the hospital for Kawasaki Disease." said Spencer

"Is Piper alright now?" asked Dr. Merrill

"She avoided developing coronary aneurisms so far, but next week Friday she has a CT scan for her pediatric cardiologist can get a more through look of Piper's heart." said Spencer

"Seems like Piper is strong just like her father." said Dr. Merrill

"That's what Hotch said to me at the hospital." said Spencer

"And he's right." said Dr. Merrill before getting serious "Now how about you tell me about your nightmare." said Dr. Merrill

At that moment Spencer started talking about his nightmare, and what happened after Olivia woke him up.

* * *

Spencer sighed sadly when he saw the pictures of 13 year old Katie and 17 year old Sera on the smart board when he listened to the 911 phone call that Bruce Morrison made when he found his daughters missing.

"That call came in an hour ago." said Hotch

"How does a single father lose his teenage daughters for 36 hours?" asked JJ

"He doesn't." said Rossi

"His girls are gone. He doesn't blame anyone." said Alex

"And he doesn't use any buzzwords first responders are trained to hear. He never says missing, abducted, runaway." said Morgan

"Maybe that's what they did, though. Maybe they ran away." said Garcia

"There's no history of that." said Rossi

"The likelihood of a stranger abduction in a neighborhood like this is rare. I've counted 7 turns from the entrance to their driveway. No one just stumbled onto the house." said Spencer

"And where's the mother? Could this be a parental child abduction?" asked JJ

"Uh, doubtful. Exactly one year ago today he made this call." said Hotch as he played a recording

"911. Please state your emergency." said the operator

"My wife is gone." said Bruce

"Confirm where are you calling from." said the operator

"1721 Hillcrest Drive." said Bruce

"She'd also been missing for two days before he contacted authorities, and she's never been found." said Hotch

"This man is either the victim of a serial offender or he is one." said Rossi

"Please tell me this guy's in custody." said Morgan

"The Salisbury police are at his home and they've been there since the call came in." said Hotch

"There are hard copies and tablet copies of both case files on the plane. It's a short flight to the eastern shore. There'll be more when you land." said Garcia as everyone packed up and left the room except for Hotch and Spencer who were still sitting

"You alright?" asked Hotch

"Just really hate cases that deals with missing kids." said Spencer as he looked at a picture of Piper on his phone before looking at the ultrasound photo that he still had in the pocket of his cardigan

"You don't have to work this case if you want to." said Hotch

"I know, but I just want to find these girls and hold Piper close to me when I get home." said Spencer with determination showing in his eyes

"Since we're heading to the jet right away, how about you call Olivia right now." said Hotch

Spencer nodded as he pulled out his cellphone and dialed Olivia's number but ended up getting voice mail so he left Olivia a voice mail.

"I have a case in Salisbury, Maryland. I will call you later when I have a chance, and I promise to stay safe. I love you." said Spencer before hanging up

* * *

Spencer was fixing himself a cup of coffee on the jet when his cellphone vibrated and he smiled softly when he saw a text message from Olivia.

THANKS FOR LETTING ME KNOW, AND PLEASE COME HOME SAFE. AND SINCE YOUR DEALING WITH SYMPTOMS OF POST TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER RIGHT NOW, I AM ALWAYS ONE PHONE CALL AWAY IF YOU NEED TO TALK TO ME. ~ OR

A minute later he was taking his cup of coffee over to his seat as JJ started talking.

"Bruce and Judy Morrison were well liked and active in the community. All signs point to them living a quiet life." said JJ

"He's a writer and a Professor, and it looks like she got into real estate a few years ago." said Morgan

"'02, before the market crashed." said Rossi

"Well, 10 years later Judy had an affair with a co-worker, a Jeff Godwin?" asked JJ

"That was discovered in the investigation but never made it in the papers." said Alex

"Bruce Morrison was a prime suspect, but they never found any evidence and the affair wasn't deemed enough of a motive. The university's put him on sabbatical since then." said Hotch

"He's been writing forever, and he's been teaching since 1985. Transcript says he was grief-stricken and couldn't handle the pressure." said JJ

"Not many people could. The odds of this event striking the same family on the same day must be a billion to one." said Rossi

"Close enough." said Spencer

"Judy inherited money from her family and it's in a trust for the girls." said Alex

"Ah, jeez, please tell me he did not get rid of his wife for money." said JJ

"Bank records indicate he hasn't touched the funds, despite the depleting supplemental income from the university." said Spencer

"Yeah, but it could be a combo platter. Revenge and profit." said Rossi

"His wife cheated and he retaliated in anger. That might not be a surprise, but that doesn't explain why he would harm his own children." said Morgan

* * *

Alex looked at Spencer.

"How about you sit up front." said Alex

Spencer gave Alex a grateful smile as he Spencer got into the passenger seat of an SUV as Morgan got into the driver's seat, and as they were heading towards Bruce Morrison's house Spencer was going through Sera's file.

"The oldest daughter Sera had a 4.0 GPA, but she didn't apply to a single college back east. She accepted a Stanford early admission. Maybe her father saw going that far away as a form of betrayal." said Spencer

"The second one in a year. First his wife of 27 years fools around and then probably threatens to end the marriage. A year later, the daughter can't wait to leave." said Rossi

"Abandonment could be the common denominator." said Alex

"There is another possibility. Maybe Bruce Morrison didn't do it. The family have any enemies?" asked Morgan

"The only person that might fit that would be Jeff Godwin." said Rossi

"Mm, looks like he had a pretty solid alibi the night Judy went missing. He was wining and dining his own wife at a local restaurant." said JJ

"So the only viable suspect back then was the same one we have now." said Alex

"All the answers are in that house." said Hotch

A short while later Spencer got out of the SUV and he and his teammates were approached by Detective Marty Friedman.

"Marty Friedman. Thanks for making the trip. We got search and rescue combing the woods and the Choptank and Wicomico rivers. We're dredging all the way from here to the Chesapeake. I'm not letting this guy get away with it again." said Detective Friedman

"Has he said why he took a day to call?" asked Rossi

"Claims he doesn't remember. He's been glued to his computer. Maybe he needs new material for a novel." said Detective Friedman

"We'll work alongside your team if that's all right." said Hotch

"Whatever you need." said Detective Friedman

As they walked into the house, Hotch looked at his teammates.

"Everybody take a room." said Hotch

At that moment Spencer headed to Katie's bedroom with JJ in tow.

"I just pictured what Piper's, Albert's and Ava's bedrooms will look like when they are teenagers." said Spencer softly as he looked around the bedroom

JJ turned her attention to Spencer in shock.

"Did you just tell me that Olivia's pregnant with twins?" asked JJ quietly

"Olivia and I just found out this morning. Sometimes a twin will not be not detected until the big 20 week ultrasound or even later in the pregnancy." whispered Spencer

"I'm so happy for you and Olivia." said JJ as she hugged Spencer

"We better focus on finding Kate and Sera, but Olivia said that I could tell you and Hotch the news. Hotch asked me about the ultrasound since we were waiting for Dr. Merrill to arrive since Hotch decided that I needed a psych evaluation due to it being the sixth anniversary of my abduction and torture." whispered Spencer

JJ closed her eyes at the memory of Hankel's dogs.

"That's why Hotch asked me to send you to his office as soon as you walked in, and I promise not to tell anyone about Albert having a twin sister until you and Olivia are ready." whispered JJ

At that moment Spencer and JJ got serious with the task that Hotch gave them, and a few minutes later Spencer spoke up.

"It looks like Katie stayed in a lot. She has a schedule of when she was gonna try new recipes." said Spencer as he thought about the new recipes that he and Olivia would try out

"She seems like a really sweet girl. Her charger's here but the phone is not." said JJ

"Maybe it's with her?" asked Spencer

"Yeah, I'll have Garcia track it." said JJ

"It'll only work if it's on, though." said Spencer

"It's worth a try." said JJ

"If the girls had access to a phone and they were okay, they would have called for help by now." said Spencer

* * *

Spencer was going through the basement with JJ.

"Wow. She had a lot of hobbies before she started selling real estate." said Spencer as he thought about Olivia's hobbies

"Yeah, family projects. Devoted mom." said JJ

At that moment Spencer heard Morgan's voice from upstairs.

"You ready, Reid?" shouted Morgan

"Yeah." said Spencer before heading upstairs

* * *

 _A/N: I was going to have the chapter that deals with All That Remain be one chapter, but I decided to have the chapters that deals with All That Remain be in two parts due to the sixth anniversary of Spencer's abduction and torture._

 _The rest of the team will find out about Albert having a twin sister in the next chapter. I was thinking about naming Albert's twin sister Alice but with Albert and his twin sister being fraternal twins I decided to go with Ava instead._

 _If any of you readers have any ideas on what Morgan can say after finding out that Olivia is actually pregnant with twins, please PM me and it has to be T or K rated since I am trying to keep this story T rated._


	26. All That Remains Part 2 and Reactions

Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds

 _A/N: Shout out to OhSnapItsMadison, tannerose5, Hippichic81, southernbeauty13, and Snowdrop65 for reviewing chapter 25._

* * *

Previously in chapter 25.

 **Spencer was going through the basement with JJ.**

 **"Wow. She had a lot of hobbies before she started selling real estate." said Spencer as he thought about Olivia's hobbies**

 **"Yeah, family projects. Devoted mom." said JJ**

 **At that moment Spencer heard Morgan's voice from upstairs.**

 **"You ready, Reid?" shouted Morgan**

 **"Yeah." said Spencer before heading upstairs**

* * *

Spencer got into the passenger seat of the SUV, and Morgan looked at him.

"How has Piper been doing?" asked Morgan

"She's pretty much back to her normal self, and she can stand up while holding onto furniture." said Spencer as his phone vibrated and he saw a text message indicating a new picture from Olivia "Livy just sent me a picture of Piper." said Spencer as he showed Morgan the picture

"We will definitely have to keep boys away from Piper when she's a teenager, and I am planning that my godson will use his genius mind to help us out." said Morgan

Spencer nodded his head in agreement.

* * *

Spencer's face paled when he saw Katie's body, and Morgan looked at him.

"You OK?" asked Morgan

"After seeing Katie dead, I am definitely going to be keeping Piper close to me when I get home." said Spencer

"Don't blame you kid." said Morgan as they watched Katie's body being put onto a body bag

As Spencer and Morgan were heading towards the SUV, Morgan called Hotch as Detective Friedman shouted orders.

"Hey! Sera could be close! I want teams working a 5-mile radius! Keep working upstream! Get those dogs working!" shouted Detective Friedman

"5 miles down!" shouted a volunteer

"We found Katie's body in the reeds. It's near, uh... I don't really know which river this is, Hotch." said Morgan

A few minutes later Spencer and Morgan were heading to the ME office, and Morgan looked at Spencer.

"Why didn't you give me the name of that river?" asked Morgan

"I have been distracted lately with everything that has been going on in my personal life." said Spencer

"You look tired." said Morgan

"It's the sixth anniversary of my abduction and torture, and Olivia had to wake me up from a nightmare last night." said Spencer

"So that's why Dr. Merrill showed up this morning?" asked Morgan

"Yeah, but I know that I am going to be dealing with post traumatic stress disorder for the rest of my life, but I know that I'm not alone." said Spencer

* * *

"Biotic decomposition is slower in the winter months, and since her body wasn't immersed in the river, it wasn't deteriorated, so I can tell you a little more than I thought." said Dr. Kendall as she stared at Katie's body "Sorry. I knew Katie. She and my daughter were in class together."

"We're sorry." said Morgan

"Me, too. She was killed between 24 and 48 hours ago. C. O. D. is blunt force trauma to the squama of the occipital bone." said Dr. Kendall

"Like from the butt of a gun?" asked Morgan

"That's possible." said Dr. Kendall

"So she was found near the river but she didn't drown?" asked Spencer

"No fluid in her lungs." said Dr. Kendall

"The water was only a method of disposal." said Spencer

"Her nails have traces of skin packed under them." said Dr. Kendall

"So we need to look for defensive wounds on her father." said Morgan as he exchanged glances with Spencer

* * *

Spencer listened to Morgan's side of the conversation when Morgan got a call from Alex, and a minute later Morgan left the room and Spencer pulled out his cellphone and looked at the picture that Olivia sent him.

* * *

A short while later Spencer was in a conference room with his teammates talking to Garcia.

"Is everyone there?" asked Garcia as she did a quick head count "Um, this call came in on Monday. It was made on Katie's cell, which is still MIA. The only 800 number she called was to a local abuse hotline. She called there a few times in the last couple of months." said Garcia before playing the recording

"My name is Katie Morrison. I called last week." said Katie

At that moment Spencer decided to sit down.

"Yes, Katie, I remember you." said the volunteer

"He's at it again. He's just going crazy." said Katie

They continued listening to the recording before Hotch and Rossi took the phone to Bruce to show him what they found as Spencer, Morgan, JJ, and Alex watched Hotch, Rossi, and Bruce.

* * *

"So Bruce said Katie baked cookies Monday night. We found them in the kitchen, so that's true." said JJ

"And two of Sera's friends confirmed she never made it to her study group." said Alex

"That's because Jeff Godwin was in the parking lot with her from 8:15 to 9:30." said Morgan

"And the girls called the hotline at 9:58." said Spencer

"Detective, have your officers found either gun?" asked Hotch

"No, but we've increased the search, given where Katie's body was found." said Detective Friedman

"We've got residue, but we don't know which gun or where it is now." said Morgan

"Look, whoever that was in there said he wanted to scare them, not hurt them." said JJ

"Katie was beaten over the head in the middle of nowhere." said Alex

"You're right. The alter could have lost his temper, or it could have just been a horrible accident." said JJ

"But getting the girls out of the house was planned. He said he wanted to scare them and had a gun to do it." said Rossi

"And then he drove them somewhere. Bruce's car had the same mud on the driver's side floor that he had on his boots, but there wasn't any in the backseat. So 3 people drove somewhere, but only he came back." said Morgan

"And the DNA coming back from Katie's nails will tell us what we already know- that Bruce Morrison did this. So can I arrest him now?" asked Detective Friedman

"Detective, you have sufficient evidence to make the arrest, but we still don't have Sera. Give us an hour and maybe he'll tell us where she is. It's your call, but he could still help us." said Hotch

"OK. One hour." said Detective Friedman

* * *

Spencer was holding a clipboard when he looked at his teammates while Garcia was having a conference call with them.

"There's no way for us to confirm a D. I. D. diagnosis yet, but we do know that he has chronic alcoholism, which can and has gone hand in hand with it. The interesting thing is, his liver and pancreas wouldn't have survived 30 years of that kind of abuse, so there must have been years where he's gotten help." said Spencer

"He was in a program." said Alex

"It would have to be more than that. Garcia, has he ever been on medication to help curb his drinking?" asked Spencer

"All I've got is a yearly physical and that is it." said Garcia

"D. I. D. usually stems from a history of sexual abuse." said Alex

"Okay, well, I've got nothing like that. All I have no Bruce Morrison is that his mother died when he was 10." said Garcia

"There's your abandonment issue." said Rossi

"And he was raised by a single alcoholic father, and there's no evidence of any prescriptions." said Garcia

Spencer looked at the photos of the Morrison family.

"They look like the perfect family, but she would have had to know about his drinking when they got married." said Spencer as he thought back to when he told Olivia about his past drug addiction

"So you're saying she helped manage him and kept his problem a secret." said JJ

"Maybe she was the one that got the prescription. Garcia, can you run her medical history?" asked Spencer

"Yeah. Hold on... Okay. Disulfiram. Am I saying that right? It's for chronic alcoholism. She had a 90-day supply delivered 4 times a year for as long as I can tell. And it stopped coming a few months ago." said Garcia

"It makes you just feel nauseous if you drink alcohol." said Spencer

"But she isn't the one who had a drinking problem. He is. Garcia, who canceled it?" asked Morgan

"Please hold while I dig." said Garcia

"Could that be the trigger? He goes after his daughters now that he's off his meds?" asked Alex

"That instability could work for us." said JJ as she noticed Jeff Godwin as she walked away with Morgan in tow

Spencer looked at Alex.

"You heard about Tobias Hankel?" whispered Spencer

"He's the unsub that abducted you and tortured you for nearly three days." said Alex

"Hankel had Dissociative Identity Disorder that developed from a drug addiction that lasted for years." said Spencer as he fingered his five year medallion that he kept in his pocket before continuing "It's the anniversary of my abduction and torture which means that symptoms of post traumatic stress disorder are expected to show up this time of the year, and Olivia had to wake me up from a nightmare last night." said Spencer

"Does Hotch know about the nightmare?" asked Alex gently

"He always makes sure to talk to me around this time of the year." said Spencer

* * *

As Morgan and JJ were helping the search party find Sera in the rain, Spencer was staring at the board when Hotch approached him.

"Based on how this case is personal for you in bunch of ways, I highly recommend that you attend a movie after this case." whispered Hotch

"I was already planning on it since it's one of the agreements that Olivia and I made." whispered Spencer

* * *

Spencer stood outside the interrogation room with his teammates as they watched Sera talk to her father.

"I'm so sorry." said Bruce

"Dad, you need help." said Sera

"Did I do that?" asked Bruce

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. What can I do?" asked Bruce

"They say that if you just tell them where mom is that this will all just be." said Sera

"But I don't know. You know I don't know." said Bruce

"She didn't just disappear, Dad. Oh, God, you killed her, didn't you?" asked Sera as she cried

"No. No, I didn't." said Bruce

"How am I supposed to believe you? This. This is what you've done. You have hurt us all for a long time." cried Sera before getting up and following JJ out of the room

"No, don't, Sera. Don't go. Sera..." said Bruce

* * *

Morgan looked at Spencer.

"Can you check on JJ?" asked Morgan

"Sure." said Spencer as he pulled out his cellphone and texted JJ.

ALL GOOD? ~ SR

A few seconds later his phone vibrated and he read a text from JJ.

NOT SURE. ~ JJ

At that moment Spencer decided to call JJ instead.

"Hey." answered JJ

"What's wrong?" asked Spencer

"I don't know. I'm not sure. She's just...too casual and almost cold since we got here." said JJ

At that moment Spencer walked over to his teammates so they can listen in on his conversation with JJ.

"It could be the shock." said Spencer as he put his phone on speaker so Alex and Morgan could listen in

"I know, but she's composed at the same time. She has not mentioned Katie to me, even once, since we got here. I couldn't walk into my house after my sister died, let alone walk past her room." said JJ

"Well, what do you think, JJ, Sera pulled it off?" asked Alex as she, Morgan, and Spencer watched the footage from when Sera talked to her father

"I'm starting to think it may be a possibility." said JJ

"It's a very detailed plan." said Alex

"What, she knew about her father's condition and took advantage of it?" asked Spencer

"She set up character witnesses like Jeff Godwin to back up her fear. She even got her little sister to make calls to a hotline. She manipulated us from the minute we found her." said Morgan

"Her writing suggested no empathy and no real emotional connection to family." said Alex

"Psychopathic tendencies." said Spencer

"Her wounds are more than superficial, but they could be self-inflicted, right, JJ?" asked Morgan

"Honey, I know. Mommy is sorry that she's not home tonight, okay? But Amy's there with you and I promise I will be home as soon as I can." said JJ, alerting Morgan, Alex, and Spencer that Sera is back

"You okay? I didn't hear the shower." said JJ

"Yeah. I just wanted my tea." said Sera

"Oh, um, I was gonna bring it to you, but it should be ready." said JJ as Sera walked away and she decided to let her teammates know that she's OK "Uh, yeah, I'm still here." said JJ

Spencer looked at Morgan and he nodded that they should vest up and get over there.

"We'll be right there. Stay on the phone." ordered Spencer as he followed Morgan

"Mommy's gotta go." said JJ as she hung up

A few minutes later Spencer was in the passenger seat of an SUV with Morgan driving with their back up following them and Spencer called Garcia.

"What can I do for the father of my future godson?" asked Garcia

"Garcia no time for banter now since JJ's in trouble." said Spencer firmly

"What's going on?" asked Garcia

"We think that Sera killed Katie, and if Sera knows that JJ's on to her, she's possibly going to kill JJ." said Morgan

"What do you need?" asked a now serious Garcia

"Garcia, did you ever find out who canceled his prescription?" asked Spencer

"Uh, it turns out to cancel one of those lifelong prescriptions, you actually have to put it in writing, and according to the company records, it was canceled by an S. Morrison." said Garcia before hanging up

A short while later Spencer was heading downstairs behind Morgan and they saw Sera pointing a gun at JJ.

"Sera, put the gun down." ordered Morgan

"No, no, you don't understand. She has a gun. She was going to hurt me." cried Sera

"No. No, Sera, it's okay." said Morgan as Spencer finished climbing down the stairs and pointed his gun at Sera "Listen to me. I understand. It's okay, Sera. She wasn't gonna hurt you. I know. You've been through enough. All right? I get it. Sera, you're safe now. Okay?" said Morgan

"Okay. Thank you. Thank you." said Sera as Morgan removed the gun from her hands, allowing Spencer to pounce on Sera and handcuff her

"What are you doing?!" exclaimed Sera as Spencer handcuffed her

"You're a smart girl, Sera. Figure it out." said Morgan as he started to take Sera upstairs and Spencer and JJ heard Sera cry as she was taken upstairs

"No, stop it! I swear, please! No, I swear to you, she was trying to hurt me! Please stop. Please, let me go. Let me go. No, you don't understand. Please listen." shouted Sera as Spencer approached JJ who was looking at some papers

"February 4th. The day Judy went missing." said JJ

"Trophies. If Detective Friedman had ever found it, she would have pinned it all on Bruce." said Spencer before looking at JJ "You alright?"

"I think so." said JJ as she and Spencer started combing through evidence

* * *

Spencer looked at his teammates as they got settled in for their quick flight home.

"I know that you are all wondering how the ultrasound went, but I am not telling you guys since I'm tired and want to go home and keep Piper close to me." said Spencer

"I don't blame you for wanting to keep Piper close to you Spence, because I am definitely going to have Henry close to me." said JJ  
Spencer looked at Hotch.

"Thinking about keeping Jack close to you when you get home, or he is staying at Jessica's?" asked Spencer

"He's staying at Jessica's until tomorrow evening due to how late it is, and I can give you a ride home if you're that tired and I can pick you up on my way to work in the morning." said Hotch

"I will take your offer Hotch." said Spencer

* * *

Spencer quietly entered Piper's nursery and smiled at the sight of Piper sleeping with her arms over her head as she sucked on her pacifier. He ran his finger through his daughter's light brown curls causing her to wake up. Her brown eyes that matched her daddy's eyes went wide when she saw that her favorite man is home and she quickly spit out her pacifier.

"Daddy." said Piper as she scrambled into a sitting position and held up her arms, saying that she wants to be held

Spencer scooped Piper out of her crib and felt her diaper, making him realize that she needed a diaper change. He carried her to the changing table and started unbuttoning Piper's footie pajamas before undoing the straps of her diaper and a few minutes later Piper was wearing clean footie pajamas as she smiled at her daddy.

"Seep wit ya." said Piper

"I was already planning that you sleep with me Goober." said Spencer as he carried his daughter to the master bedroom where he saw Olivia open her eyes

"Spencer?" asked a groggy Olivia

"Just got home 15 minutes ago, and I napped during the short flight back to Quantico." said Spencer

Olivia looked at the alarm clock and realized that it was only 1 AM.

"What time do you have to show up at work tomorrow?" asked Olivia

"9:30 AM, and Hotch gave me a ride home so I could sleep during the hour long drive." said Spencer as he passed Piper to Olivia

"How are you getting to work tomorrow?" asked Olivia

"Hotch offered to pick me up in the morning." said Spencer as he rifled through one of the dressers and found some clean pajamas

"How about you quickly take that shower before joining Piper and I in bed." said Olivia

* * *

Spencer looked at his teammates.

"Want to hear how Olivia's ultrasound went?" asked Spencer as he kept his best poker face

Everyone nodded.

"Is Albert alright?" asked a worried Garcia

"Albert Spencer Reid and his twin sister Ava Diana Reid who Livy and I just found out about yesterday are developing right on schedule" grinned Spencer

At that moment Morgan's and Rossi's jaws dropped while Hotch, JJ, and Alex smirked at Morgan's and Rossi's reactions as Garcia squealed in excitement of another baby genius.

"Twins." squealed Garcia as she got up from her chair and rushed over to Spencer and hugged him tightly "I can't wait to shop for more clothing and toys."

"Olivia and I saved all the clothing that Piper grew out of just in case Livy and I gave Piper a little sister." said Spencer as he extracted himself from Garcia's tight embrace

"Good thinking Boy Wonder, but Ava deserves clothing of her own too." said Garcia

"I know, but Olivia said that in the future Ava might want to borrow clothing from Piper." said Spencer

At that moment Alex got up and made her way to Spencer and hugged him.

"I knew it." said Alex as she hugged Spencer

Spencer looked up at Alex.

"Did anyone tell you?" asked Spencer

"No, but I had a few suspicions and I didn't want to confront you or Olivia if either of you didn't know at all." said Alex

Rossi decided to approach Spencer next and gave his customary kiss on each cheek.

"Another honorary grandchild." said Rossi

Spencer looked at Morgan who was still gaping at him in shock.

"Are you going to say anything at all?" asked Spencer

"After the birth of the twins, are you and Olivia done having baby geniuses?" asked Morgan

"I actually told Olivia that we can have as many children she wants to have, and she wants to have more than three kids." said Spencer

"How many more baby geniuses are you and Olivia going to have?" asked an excited Garcia

"Olivia wants to have a total of six kids to help complete my plans for world domination." joked Spencer

At that moment Hotch gave Spencer a stern look.

"What have I told you about bringing up that you have plans for world domination?" asked Hotch

"That some of my plans are pretty good, but there are some that you consider a bit crazy." said Spencer

"Now tell us the truth." said Garcia

"In two years Livy and I will revisit the topic of trying for one more, and hopefully it's a boy so Albert can have a little brother to play with." said Spencer

"So with you and Olivia expecting twins instead of just Albert, who are Ava's godparents?" asked Garcia

"You and Morgan will be godparents for both Albert and Ava." said Spencer

"How did you come up with the name Ava for your second daughter?" asked Alex

"Olivia's childhood friend who died from Kawasaki Disease was named Ava, and I was the one to pick Ava's first name while Olivia picked out the middle name." said Spencer

"Your mother's is going to love Ava's full name." said Alex

"I know." said Spencer

Spencer looked at Hotch.

"Speaking of my mom, do you think I can sneak away this weekend to travel to Las Vegas despite taking next week Friday off due to Piper having a CT scan?" asked Spencer before continuing "Olivia, Piper, and I haven't seen my mom in person since my birthday, and Olivia and I want to tell my parents and aunt the news in person about expecting twins instead of Albert."

"You can take this weekend off." said Hotch

"I'm planning to be back on Monday." said Spencer

"Does your mom know about Piper ending up in the hospital?" asked JJ

"She knows." said Spencer

Rossi looked at Spencer.

"I'm going to arrange and pay for yours, Olivia's, and Piper's plane tickets, and I am not taking no for an answer." said Rossi

"I am going to get myself a cup of coffee while I call Olivia and tell her the news." said Spencer as he walked towards the exit of the conference room

As Spencer got to the coffee pot, he pulled out his phone and called Olivia.

"Hey Spencer." smiled Olivia as she watched Piper babble to her teddy bear

"Are you able to talk right now?" asked Spencer

"Piper and I just got settled into my office for my hour long prep, and she's going to be excited to hear your voice." said Olivia

"Then I will need to talk to her, but first I want to tell you that Hotch gave me this weekend off so we can fly out to Vegas and tell my parents and aunt the news about expecting twins instead of just Albert." said Spencer as a few agents who overheard smiled at him and mouthed congratulations

"That's great." said Olivia as she looked at Piper who crawled over to her "What do you think about visiting Nana and Papa this weekend?" asked Olivia as she put her phone on speaker so Piper can hear her daddy's voice

"Papa?" asked Piper as she looked around for her grandfather

"Goober, we will have to get onto a plane since Nana and Papa live in Las Vegas where I was born and raised." said Spencer

Piper's brown eyes went wide and Olivia smiled at her daughter.

"Who was that on the phone?" asked Olivia

Daddy!" exclaimed Piper

"Hey there, Goober." said Spencer with a wide grin on his face

At that moment Piper started babbling away telling her daddy what she has done so far since her godfather picked up her daddy.

"You telling me about your day so far?" asked Spencer

"Ya." said Piper

"We will even have more fun when I come home this evening." said Spencer

"Ay." said Piper

"Well I have to get back to work Piper." said Spencer

"Buh Daddy." said Piper

"What would you like for dinner tonight?" asked Olivia

"Whatever you want Olivia." said Spencer

"I was planning that we could order Indian food tonight instead of cooking since I am craving it." said Olivia

At that moment there was a knock on her door causing Piper's eyes to go wide as Olivia giggled at her daughter's antics.

"Well I have to go since someone's knocking on my door." said Olivia

"I have to get to get back to work." said Spencer

"I love you Spencer." said Olivia

"And I love all four of you." said Spencer

"You mean Piper, Albert, Ava, and I?" asked Olivia

"Yes ma'am." teased Spencer

"Please call me when your on your way home from work." said Olivia as she hung up

As Spencer pocketed his phone as Anderson approached him.

"Olivia's pregnant with twins?" asked Anderson

"Yep, and Livy and I just found out yesterday. And my second daughter's name is going to be Ava Diana Reid." said Spencer as he eyed his teammates who were talking in the conference room while taking occasional glances at him, making him wonder what's going on

* * *

As Spencer was talking on the phone, Garcia looked at her teammates as she watched Spencer grin while on the phone, knowing that it's going to be awhile since she knew that Olivia had prep at the moment.

"This weekend I want to break into Reid's house and make the empty bedroom into a nursery for Ava and if you guys don't help me I am going to ruin your credit scores." said Garcia

"I will pay for furniture, paint, and anything else that's needed for Ava's nursery while you guys put everything together and paint the nursery." said Rossi

"I have experience with putting together Jack's crib, so I will be glad to put together Ava's crib and any other furniture." said Hotch

"I will help you Hotch, and maybe all of us can work together on painting." said Morgan with everyone nodding in agreement that painting will get done faster with everyone pitching in

"Will has off this weekend, so I will recruit him to help." said JJ

"Beth will be visiting this weekend, and knowing her she will be glad to help." said Hotch

"What are we going to do for the theme?" asked JJ

"I was thinking about having the walls be painted lavender or light pink, and all the furniture be white." said Garcia

"I say that we go with lavender instead of light pink." said JJ, with Alex nodding in agreement

* * *

 _A/N: The next chapter will deal with Spencer, Olivia, and Piper going to Las Vegas so Spencer and Olivia can tell Diana, William, and Ethel the news while Spencer's teammates start and finish a nursery for Ava in a few days._


	27. Las Vegas, Valentines Day, & a CT Scan

Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds.

 _A/N: Shout out to tannerose5, Hippichic81, OhSnapItsMadison, Chermayne, Mrs. JaganshiReidofHufflepuff, Snowdrop65 for reviewing chapter 26._

* * *

Piper woke up and she turned her head to the right, and she looked at her daddy who smiled at her.

"Have a good nap Piper?" asked Spencer

"Ya." said Piper as she made the sign saying that she's thirsty

Spencer got up from his seat, and he grabbed Piper's diaper bag from the overhead compartment and as he grabbed a bottle of premixed formula a flight attendant approached him.

"Sir, would you like me to heat that up for you?" asked the flight attendant

"Yes please." said Spencer as he passed the bottle to the flight attendant

"I will be back in a few minutes." said the flight attendant

Spencer quickly got back into his seat and he unbuckled Piper from her car seat and settled her onto his arms.

"Your bottle will be here soon." said Spencer as he rubbed his daughter's back

A few minutes later the flight attendant approached Spencer with Piper's bottle and passed it to him.

"I already tested the temperature on my skin." said the flight attendant

"Thank you." said Spencer as he adjusted Piper in his arms and started giving Piper her bottle

"How old is your daughter?" asked the attendant

"She's turning eight months old on the 17th." said Spencer as he started giving Piper her formula

"She's a perfect combination of you and your wife." said the flight attendant before walking away

* * *

Spencer, Olivia, William, and Ethel entered Bennington Sanitarium and Piper looked around her surroundings from her daddy's arms.

"Daddy?" asked Piper

"We're here to see your Nana." said Spencer as Nurse Elizabeth approached them

"Piper has gotten so big since her first visit here last year." said Nurse Elizabeth as she smiled at Piper

At that moment Piper buried her head into her daddy's neck.

"She's going through a shy phase right now." said Spencer apologetically

"Its OK, and your mom is currently in her room since she wants to have this visit in her room." said Nurse Elizabeth

"Thanks." said Spencer

A few minutes later Spencer, Olivia, Piper, William, and Ethel were entering Diana's room, and Diana smiled when she saw her son, daughter in law, and granddaughter.

"You finally gotten away from work to come visit me." said Diana as she gotten up from her chair and hugged her son and kissed her granddaughter's head before pulling Olivia into a hug

"I know mom, but I had to stay in Washington DC for Thanksgiving and Christmas." said Spencer

"Now let me hold my granddaughter." smiled Diana

At that moment Spencer passed Piper to Diana, and Diana sat down on her bed and settled Piper onto her lap with Piper facing her.

"You have gotten so big since seeing you on your daddy's birthday." said Diana

"Nana?" asked Piper

"Yes I am your grandmother." said Diana before looking at Olivia "Your looking great Olivia." said Diana

"Thanks." said Olivia as she gripped her husband's hand

"We have some exciting news for you three." said Spencer

"What is it?" asked Ethel

"We had the big 20 week ultrasound last week Wednesday, and we found out that this is our last trip out here for a while because I am pregnant with twins instead of just Albert." said Olivia

"I had a feeling that you were carrying twins based on the pictures you sent me." said Diana

"What's the gender of Albert's twin?" asked William

"A girl and we named her Ava Diana Reid after Olivia's childhood friend who lost her life to Kawasaki Disease and you mom." said Spencer

"I love that name." said Diana as she passed her granddaughter to Ethel before pulling her son and daughter in law into a hug before looking at Piper "How's Piper doing since her time in the hospital a month ago?" asked Diana

"Piper has a CT scan on Friday, and Hotch gave me the day off." said Spencer

"And what does the CT scan consist of?" asked Diana

"The CT scan will help Piper's pediatric cardiologist Dr. Lopez make sure that Piper didn't develop any coronary aneurisms from the Kawasaki Disease." said Spencer as he started explaining what will happen during the CT scan

When Spencer was finished explaining what was going to happen during the CT scan, he turned his attention to his mother.

"Do you want to transfer to a hospital out in DC or Virginia yet since your going to be having three grandchildren instead of two grandchildren?" asked Spencer

Diana quickly thought about it.

"I rather stay here in Las Vegas because I made a few friends here in the hospital, and William told me how cold it gets in Washington DC this time of the year so I rather stay here where its warm." said Diana

"Its OK mom." said Spencer

At that moment William looked at his son.

"I have been thinking about retiring, and Diana is OK with what I am planning on doing with my life." said William

"What are you planning on doing?" asked Spencer

William looked at his son and daughter in law.

"Move to Washington DC and find an apartment, and spend the rest of my life with you two and my grandchildren." said William

Spencer and Olivia looked at each other and Spencer decided to say the thoughts that they both have.

"If your going to move out to Washington DC, we prefer that you live with us since we have plenty of room for you in our house where you can live for free instead of paying rent or buying a house." said Spencer

Diana looked at William.

"I agree with your son that you should just move into his house." said Diana

"I guess I will take your offer to move in with you guys, and I will need to ship belongings to your house while taking furniture to a nearby thrift shop." said William

Ethel looked at Spencer.

"And I'm going to stay out here with your mom, and if she wants to see her grandchildren I can bring her out to Washington DC." said Ethel

At that moment Nurse Elizabeth came into the room.

"Its time for Diana's medication, but before I give Diana her medication I thought that you guys would want me to take a family picture." said Nurse Elizabeth

"That would be wonderful Elizabeth." said Diana

A few minutes later Nurse Elizabeth took a photo of the Reid family who were all smiling for the picture.

* * *

A day later Spencer opened door of the room that's suppose to be Ava's nursery, and he flipped on the light before opening his mouth in shock and stood there staring at the room that was painted lavender, all white furniture, and a lavender sheet and quilt set and white letters on the wall spelling AVA until Olivia approached him.

"What's wrong?" asked Olivia

"Seems like my teammates broke into our house while we were gone and started and finished Ava's nursery while we were in Vegas." said Spencer as he stepped inside the finished nursery

At that moment Olivia stepped into the room and burst into tears when she saw Ava's nursery.

"Stupid hormones." muttered Olivia as she walked around the nursery

"I guess that with everything that has been going with Piper ending up in the hospital, me dealing with symptoms of PTSD, and us finding out that your pregnant with twins my teammates decided to knock one thing off our check list before the twins are born." said Spencer

At that moment Spencer's cellphone rang and he saw that it was Garcia.

"Your on speaker with Olivia and me, and I see what you guys did while Livy, Piper, and I were in Vegas." said Spencer as he put his phone on speaker

"What did you two think about the nursery?" asked Garcia

"I love it Penelope." said Olivia

"I do too, and you saved us a lot of work." said Spencer

"With how drained you two were since Piper ended up in the hospital, everyone agreed that starting and finishing Ava's nursery was one of the things that we could do." said Garcia

* * *

The next day Spencer sat down at his desk, and he smiled at JJ and Alex.

"I already talked to Garcia, and I appreciate you guys breaking into my house to start and finish Ava's nursery." said Spencer

At that moment Hotch called his team to the conference room, and a few minutes later Hotch looked at his team.

"There's no case, but this week we are working on our backlog of consults just in case any of you guys made plans for Valentines Day for Thursday or this weekend." said Hotch

At that moment both Spencer and JJ let out sighs of relief, and Hotch looked at Spencer.

"How was your visit with your parents?" asked Hotch

"My last trip to Vegas until a few months after the twins are born went great, but I have some news." said Spencer

"What's the news?" asked Garcia

"My dad announced to Olivia and me that he's retiring at the end of May, and he wants to spend his retirement in Washington DC helping Olivia and me raise his grandchildren since Livy and I are going to have our hands full with one toddler and two babies." said Spencer

"What about your mom?" asked JJ

"She rather stay in Bennington Sanitarium since she loves it there, and I don't want to do anything against her will again like I did after my 18th birthday." said Spencer

"Where is your dad going to live?" asked Hotch

"At first he wanted to get an apartment near the house, but Olivia and I told him no since there's plenty of room in the house for him since he can move into one of the guest bedrooms." said Spencer

Garcia looked at Spencer and JJ.

"So are you guys going to tell me the plans that you made for your significant others for Valentines Day?" asked Garcia

"Livy and I decided to wait with celebrating until Saturday since we are going to have an early bedtime on Thursday night since its going to be a long day on Friday." said Spencer

"Piper has her CT scan on Friday?" asked Garcia

"Yeah she does, and Piper's going to be given anesthesia due to her age so she's going to be sleeping during the entire test." said Spencer

* * *

Three days later Spencer grabbed the onsie that Olivia wanted Piper to wear for the day and he smiled at the onsie saying ITS MY FIRST VALENTINES DAY, AND MY DADDY IS MY VALENTINE.

"I am definitely yours and Mommy's Valentine today." said Spencer as he pulled leggings over the onsie before pulling a pink tutu

"Mommy?" asked Piper as she looked around for her favorite woman

"She's still sleeping." said Spencer as he gently brushed Piper's light brown curly hair

At that moment Piper's stomach growled and Piper's eyes went wide as she patted her belly.

"No no." said Piper

Spencer burst out laughing at his daughter's antics.

"Let's get some food into you as I make breakfast for mommy and me." said Spencer

A few minutes later Piper was sitting in her highchair happily munching on cheerios while Spencer made strawberry pancakes for his and Olivia's Valentines Day breakfast.

20 minutes later after Spencer was putting the plate of pancakes and whipped cream onto a tray when he saw Olivia enter the kitchen.

"I was about to bring Piper and our breakfast upstairs so we could eat breakfast in bed." said Spencer

"I had to pee, and when you and Piper weren't upstairs I decided to check down here." said Olivia a she sat down near Piper's high chair "Good morning sweet pea." said Olivia

"Mommy!" exclaimed Piper

At that moment Spencer placed a plate of strawberry pancakes and a can of whipped cream in front of Olivia.

"Happy Valentines Day love." said Spencer as he kissed Olivia on the lips

"I have a feeling that your going to spoil me today." said Olivia as she sprayed some whipped cream onto her pancakes

"You will just have to wait and see because I am planning on spoiling both of my Valentines today before we have our date night on Saturday." grinned Spencer as he made a red rose appear before sitting down and started eating breakfast herself

* * *

Two hours later Olivia was sitting at her desk when there was a knock on her door.

"Come in." said Olivia

At that moment an Edible Arrangements delivery man came into the room while holding a vase that contained cut up fruit.

"Are you Dr. Olivia Reid?" asked the delivery man

Olivia nodded as her mouth watered at the sight of the chocolate covered up fruit.

"I have an edible arrangements delivery for you." said the delivery man as he placed the vase of cut up fruit in front of Olivia before leaving the room

At that moment Olivia looked at the card and she released a few tears when she saw who the flowers were from.

 _HAPPY VALENTINES DAY TO MY BEAUTIFUL WIFE. ~ SR_

At that moment Olivia picked up her cellphone and sent her husband a text message.

THANK YOU FOR THE EDIBLE ARRANGEMENTS SPENCER. ~ OR

A minute later her phone vibrated again.

YOUR WELCOME LOVE. HOW'S YOUR DAY SO FAR? ~ SR

Olivia quickly typed a reply.

ITS GOING GREAT SO FAR, AND PIPER MISSES YOU EVEN THOUGH ITS A PAPERWORK DAY FOR YOU. ~ OR

A minute later her phone vibrated.

SINCE THINGS ARE GOING ON SLOW AT THE BAU, HOW ABOUT YOU AND PIPER COME VISIT AND WE CAN GO OUT FOR LUNCH? ~ SR

Olivia smiled as she typed her reply.

I THINK I WILL TAKE THAT OFFER, AND I WILL CALL YOU WHEN PIPER AND I ARRIVE. ~ OR

* * *

Two hours later Spencer put cellphone back into his pocket with a big grin on his face as JJ looked at him.

"What's with the smile?" asked JJ

"Olivia and Piper are here to take me out for lunch, and Olivia and Piper are going to say hi to you guys before I leave with Olivia and Piper." said Spencer as he got up and headed to the elevators

Two minutes later Spencer grinned when he saw Olivia exit the elevator with Piper on her hip, and Piper grinned when she saw her favorite man.

"Daddy." said Piper as she started to squirm in her mommy's arms

At that moment Spencer extracted Piper from Olivia's arms and he kissed his daughter's cheek.

"I missed you Goober. Now let's go say hi to your aunts and uncles." said Spencer as he made sure that Piper was firmly settled onto his hip before grabbing Olivia's hand

As they were heading to his desk, Spencer shook his head when he saw his teammates knowing that JJ most likely spread the word about Olivia and Piper coming to visit.

"Hey guys." said Olivia as she removed her winter jacket and draped it over her husband's desk chair revealing her 21 week pregnant belly

"Well look at you pretty mama." said Morgan as he hugged Olivia

"Your practically glowing Olivia." said Garcia as she hugged Olivia

"I really enjoy being pregnant." said Olivia as she rested her hands protectively on her belly

"I enjoyed being pregnant with Henry." said JJ as she hugged Olivia

"With Piper wearing a tutu and leggings today, I really need to see the rest of her outfit so please remove Piper's jacket Boy Wonder." said Garcia

Spencer shook his head as he removed Piper's jacket causing Alex, JJ, and Garcia to coo at the rest of Piper's outfit.

"I agree that Spencer should be Piper's Valentine today." said Alex as she smiled at the baby girl who was snuggling into her daddy's arms

"Now that's an adorable outfit that Piper's wearing on her first Valentines Day" cooed Garcia

"Well Spencer was the one to get her dressed this morning since I had her outfit laid out." said Olivia before looking at her husband "And do you really have to have Piper wear mismatched socks like you do when you dress her?" asked Olivia

"What if Piper, Albert, and Ava wants to wear mismatched socks like me in a few years when they ask me why I wear mismatched socks?" asked Spencer as he gave his wife his famous puppy dog eye look

At that moment everyone started laughing.

"I guess your right Spencer." said Olivia as she kissed her husband on the cheek

"You should see the clothing that I already bought for Albert and Ava." said Garcia as she thought about the small sweater vests that she bought for Albert

"Penelope, we have plenty of clothing for Ava since we saved everything of Piper's." said Olivia

"I know, but I am so excited about being Ava's and Albert's fairy godmother." said Garcia

At that moment Olivia looked at her husband.

"I'm craving French fries right now." said Olivia

Spencer shook his head before kissing his wife on the cheek.

"Well let's go get you those French fries right now." said Spencer as turned his attention to Hotch "I'm going to be back in an hour." said Spencer

"How about you just take the rest of the day off since you have a long day tomorrow." said Hotch

"I'm not even done with my consults." said Spencer as he looked at his stack

At that moment Morgan picked them up.

"I will do them for you kid since I don't have any plans for Valentines Day, and there were times that you did my paperwork so I can leave the office early." said Morgan

"Thanks Morgan." said Spencer as he pulled on his jacket before grabbing his bags

* * *

The following morning Spencer, Olivia, and Piper were at Children's National for Piper's CT scan and Spencer was just closing the clasps of Piper's clean diaper and putting Piper into an infant hospital gown when Nurse Abigail entered the room with a small bucket with everything that she needed to get Piper's IV inserted.

"I'm about to insert Piper's IV, so which one of you are going to hold her?" asked Nurse Abigail

"I am." said Spencer as he sat on the exam table and settled Piper onto his lap with Piper facing him "I'm going to sing to Piper to help distract her." said Spencer

"Do whatever it takes to distract your daughter." said Nurse Abigail

At that moment Spencer started to sing some silly childhood songs to Piper, and two minutes later Piper started crying when she felt a poke and Spencer stopped singing and started soothing his daughter as Nurse Abigail made sure that Piper couldn't remove Piper's IV.

"Its alright Goober." said Spencer as he rubbed Piper's back as Piper's tears soaked his cardigan

"You have a great singing voice Dr. Reid." said Nurse Abigail

"Thanks." said Spencer as he continued to rub Piper's back

Two minutes later Piper stopped crying and Spencer decided to get Piper to smile again by making funny faces at her, and Nurse Abigail looked at the heart monitor that Piper was already attached to as she listened to Piper laugh at her father's antics.

"It seems like Piper's heart rate is almost at the desired level based on the medication you two had to give her prior to coming to here. So in 15 minutes I am going to alert that anesthesiologist that we are ready for her." said Nurse Abigail before looking at Olivia "How far along are you?" asked Nurse Abigail

"21 weeks and we are expecting twins." said Olivia

"Know the genders?" asked Nurse Abigail

"A boy and a girl." said Olivia as she rubbed her belly

Spencer looked at Nurse Abigail.

"Am I able to be in the room with Piper when she has her CT scan?" asked Spencer

"As long as you wear a lead jacket to protect yourself from radiation." said Nurse Abigail

Spencer nodded.

15 minutes later Spencer placed his sleeping daughter on the bed for the CT scan, and he gently kissed Piper's forehead.

"I will only be a couple of feet away from you." said Spencer as he helped Nurse Abigail get Piper into position for the scan

A few minutes later Spencer was sitting in the chair he was indicated to sit in as he watched the bed that Piper was laying on move into the machine.

* * *

Spencer looked at Olivia.

"It seems like Piper's waking up." whispered Spencer

"We should allow her to see our smiling faces." said Olivia as they stood over the crib that Spencer was told to put her in while she slept off the anesthesia

Piper opened her eyes, and she saw her mommy and daddy smiling over her in the strange crib that she was laying in and she smiled back at her parents as her daddy pressed a button to let the nurse know that Piper woke up.

* * *

Three hours later Spencer and Olivia entered their house, and Olivia looked at Spencer who was hanging up his navy blue pea coat.

"How about you call your teammates and invite them over for dinner tonight as I take Piper upstairs and get her ready for her nap." said Olivia as she worked on getting Piper unbundled

"OK, but I think a nap is calling both of our names when I get off the phone." said Spencer

"A nap sounds like a great idea." said Olivia as she carried Piper upstairs

A minute later he pulled out his cellphone and called Garcia as he took Einstein outside.

"Hey there Boy Wonder." said Garcia

"Hey." said Spencer tiredly

"Are you, Olivia, and Piper final home?" asked Garcia

"Yeah we are, and Livy and I were talking about taking a nap while Piper naps since we had a rough morning with Piper." said Spencer

"I don't blame your little cutie pie for being grumpy since she spent the morning at the hospital." said Garcia

"At least Livy and I are getting the results of the CT scan on Tuesday." said Spencer

"And I promise not to hack into Piper's medical records to give you the results." said Garcia

"I know, but the reason I am calling is to invite everyone over for dinner." said Spencer as he let Einstein into the house

"What are you and Olivia making for dinner?" asked Garcia

"Its taco night, but we can make vegetarian tacos." said Spencer

"I'm in and I will let the others know what's going on tonight." said Garcia

A few minutes later Spencer was outside picking up Einstein's feces before heading upstairs to join Olivia and Piper in bed since Piper was laying in bed next to her mother.

* * *

Five hours later Spencer was shaking his head as Olivia strapped the baby carrier to him.

"She's very clingy with me today." said Spencer

"Well she did have a rough day today, and I don't blame her for wanting her daddy." said Olivia as she made sure that Piper was secure before deciding to kick off her socks and shoes

"Swollen feet?" asked Spencer gently

"Yeah, but being barefoot helps me feet feel better." said Olivia

"At least I am not wearing any shoes." said Spencer before looking at the clock "Everyone is going to be here in a half hour, so we better start cooking." said Spencer

"Let's start chopping vegetables, and when its time to cook the meat I will do it since Piper shouldn't be near the stove if she's going to be in that baby carrier." said Olivia

"Yes ma'am." said Spencer

At that moment Spencer and Olivia started on preparing tacos for themselves and their guests, and when Olivia was cooking the meat the doorbell rang and Spencer looked at his wife.

"I got it." said Spencer as he wiped his hands

"Piper's asleep." giggled Olivia

Spencer shook his head as he head to the front door and he ended up shaking his head again when he saw Hotch, JJ, Will, Morgan, Garcia, Alex, Rossi, Jack, and Henry all on his doorstep at the same time as he opened up the door and allowed everyone into the house

"Please be quiet since Piper's asleep." said Spencer quietly as everyone removed their jackets and shoes since they knew about the no wearing shoes in the house rule that Olivia made

"What are you wearing Pretty Boy?" whispered Morgan

"A baby carrier. Piper has been clingy to me since leaving the hospital this morning, and sometimes Olivia will strap this on me so I can get housework done while not having to set Piper down." whispered Spencer

"You, Aunt Olivia, and Piper were in the hospital this morning?" asked Jack softly

"Piper was really sick last month, and her heart needs to be monitored for the rest of her life." said Spencer

"Where's Olivia?" whispered JJ

"She's in the kitchen finishing up on dinner." whispered Spencer

"I'm going to see if she needs any help." whispered Garcia causing JJ and Alex to nod in agreement before heading to the kitchen

At that moment Morgan sniffed the air and he looked at Spencer.

"It seems like Piper needs a diaper change." said Morgan

"I'm going to need help getting this baby carrier off of me." said Spencer

"I'm not helping you kid." said Morgan

At that moment Hotch and Will stepped forward since they are familiar with baby carriers, and one minute later Spencer was taking Piper upstairs with Jack and Henry in tow since they wanted to help him change Piper's diaper.

10 minutes later everyone was gathered around the dining room table eating dinner, and JJ looked at Spencer and Olivia who were sitting next to each other as Piper sat in her high chair in-between them munching on the cooked carrots and peas that her mommy and daddy made for her.

"I can't believe that Piper's going to be eight months old on Sunday." said JJ as she watched her goddaughter eat without any help from her parents

Everyone nodded in agreement since they remembered meeting a day old Piper, and after a few minutes of talking about anything but work JJ looked at Spencer and Olivia.

"Do you two need a sitter for tomorrow night?" asked JJ

"My student Diane offered to babysit Piper for us, and we are going to the bed and breakfast that we celebrated our one year wedding anniversary at." said Olivia

"You two do know that any of us can babysit Piper." said JJ

Before Spencer or Olivia could respond to JJ's comment, Piper decided to throw one of the cooked carrots that her mommy and daddy placed in front of her at her Uncle Derek, who ended up looking around the room for the culprit.

"OK who just threw something at me?" asked Morgan

At that moment Piper started laughing and everyone turned their attention to Piper who was now blowing raspberries towards her Uncle Derek.

"Really Piper?" asked Morgan

At that moment Piper picked up another cooked carrot and threw it at her Uncle Derek's forehead before blowing more raspberries at him as everyone but Morgan burst out laughing.

* * *

 _A/N: I'm not going to write about Spencer's and Olivia's night away from Piper to belatedly celebrate Valentines Day, but you guys can probably figure out what they probably did._

 _Let's just say that if I had to pick one person that Piper will decide to be sassy around, it would be Morgan since she's aware of her daddy being teased by her Uncle Derek based on the stories she is told about her daddy by her Uncle Aaron when she gets to spend time with her godfather._

 _When it came to my first heart check after getting out of the hospital, the doctor that treated me decided that a CT scan would be the best option even though echocardiograms are the best option for me due to my heart rate never getting low enough for the CT scan._


	28. Broken

Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds.

 _A/N: Shout out to Chermayne, Hippichic81, OhSnapItsMadison, Snowdrop65, Mrs. JaganshiReidofHufflepuff, and southernbeauty13 for reviewing chapter 27._

 _I created a new poll that deals with the ending of the last chapter with Piper being sassy at her Uncle Derek, so please visit my profile and vote._

* * *

Spencer was pouring himself a cup of coffee when Hotch joined him by the coffee maker.

"Morning Hotch." said Spencer as he added some sugar to his coffee

"How was Piper this morning?" asked Hotch as he poured himself a cup of coffee

"She's definitely dealing with the clingy phase right now, and I really can't believe that I held her for the first time eight months ago yesterday." said Spencer

"Time does go fast after holding your child for the first time." said Hotch

"I know, but luckily there's only about 18 more weeks until Albert and Ava make their debut if they aren't born before Olivia reaches full term." said Spencer as he took a sip of his favorite beverage

"You got some baby oatmeal on your tie." said Hotch

"So that's why Olivia was giggling this morning when I was putting on my jacket." muttered Spencer as he quickly untied his tie and realized that Hotch was right "It's a good thing I have a few extra ties in my go bag."

"You do know that you don't always need to wear a tie, and I do recall that there were times that you didn't wear a tie." said Hotch

"I know." said Spencer as he walked over to his desk with Hotch and a minute later Spencer pulled his go bag out from underneath his desk. He started rifling through his bag and noticed that there were no ties in his go bag at all "I did pack them, but I guess Olivia decided to change everything that I packed while I was in the shower." said Spencer as he shook his head while pulling out his phone to call Olivia while Hotch decided to stay nearby since he thought that the situation that Spencer was dealing with was funny

"Yes Spencer?" asked Olivia

"I know what you did to the clothing in my go bag last night." said Spencer

"So you finally noticed that Piper got baby food on your tie this morning?" asked Olivia

"Hotch pointed it out to me, but why did you decide to repack my go bag while making sure that you didn't pack any ties?" asked Spencer

"I'm mad at you." snapped Olivia

Spencer quickly thought about what he could have done to have Olivia be mad at him.

"I didn't do anything wrong Livy." said Spencer

"Except getting me pregnant with twins this time instead of just Albert." snapped Olivia

Spencer shook his head at Olivia's answer, knowing that she is dealing with her hormones right now.

"I will sleep on the couch if I come home tonight Livy." said Spencer as he noticed Hotch's lips curling into a slight smirk

"I have plans for you if you come home tonight, and those plans don't involve you sleeping on the couch." said Olivia

"Well I have to get going since Morgan told me that he's dragging me to the gym to practice my hand to hand combat." said Spencer

"Just don't come home injured or I will make you sleep on the couch." said Olivia

"Threat duly noted, and I love you." said Spencer

"Love you too." said Olivia before hanging up

Hotch looked at Spencer.

"So what did you do to get Olivia mad at you?" asked Hotch

"Getting her pregnant with twins, but it was less than two weeks ago when Livy and I found out that Albert has been hiding his twin sister." said Spencer

"It's just her pregnancy hormones acting up." said Hotch

"I know, but I'm afraid about what she is going to say in the delivery room since we are going to try and see if the twins can be born naturally. I was lucky that she didn't give me any threats while she was in labor with Piper, but Livy's going to be in more pain this time." said Spencer as he saw Morgan come into the bullpen

"Let's go Reid." said Morgan

"Just a minute." said Spencer as he grabbed his gym bag before following Morgan out of the bullpen

* * *

Hotch entered the gym and he noticed Spencer and Morgan on the mats, and with how they didn't notice that he showed up he decided to bring out his devious streak by filming Spencer and Morgan sparring before alerting them that they have a case.

"I'm not going lose to you again kid." said Morgan

At that moment Spencer performed a move that got Morgan onto the ground, and then Hotch stopped filming Spencer and Morgan and decided to confront them.

"Nice job Reid." said Hotch as he walked over to Spencer and patted him on the shoulder before helping Morgan up

"You saw everything?" asked Morgan

"When you two didn't answer Garcia's text messages, I decided to see if you were still practicing hand to hand combat." said Hotch

"Is there a case?" asked Spencer as he sadly realized that he would be missing Piper's doctor appointment

"Austin, Texas. So you two quickly shower and change since we're meeting on the jet because Blake had a class." said Hotch

* * *

"Last night Michelle Bradley went missing from a friend's bachelorette party in Austin, Texas." said Garcia

"Austin P. D. say that she is the third in a series of abductions in a week." said Hotch

"Right. The first victim, Craig Pickett, he was a student at T. U. He disappeared from a fraternity party. He was discovered at the visitor parking lot just after sunrise. He had been beaten with a blunt object. And then Heather Wilson, she was a veterinarian living in the Old West district. She disappeared from a speed-dating function thing and she was found in a nearby alley the next morning. She had been stripped and she had been stabbed." said Garcia

"Each of the victims was at a social gathering the night that they were abducted. Witness reports say that they were there one minute and gone the next." said Hotch

"OK, so this guy doesn't waste any time. He knows who he wants and how to get them. That shows organization and sophistication." said Morgan

"He had Craig and Heather for less that 12 hours before he killed them. We may already be out of time to save Michelle." said Rossi

"No apparent link in victimology. What troubles me is the variation in the M. O." said Hotch

"The speed and efficiency of the abduction suggests one unsub. So is he using weapons of opportunity or specifically catering his murder ritual to each victim?" asked Spencer

"There's clear evidence of overkill on both. Craig's face was caved in, and the damage to Heather's genitals was extensive." said JJ

"He's angry, but about what?" asked Alex

"Well, the motive on Heather appears sexual. She was stripped down to nothing more than a watch, while Craig was left fully clothed." said JJ

"His wallet was missing. There might be some kind of financial motivation." said Morgan

"Or it's plain old-fashioned jealousy. He kills Craig in a rage and the beast is unleashed. That's when he starts targeting women." said Rossi

"His area of control appears to be quite large. What's interesting is he dumps the bodies in the same district they're abducted from." said Spencer

"So he doesn't go far, yet he'd need privacy. Maybe he uses his vehicle for the assaults." said JJ

"Which means he could be anywhere." said Alex

Hotch looked at his agents.

"We might as well get comfortable for the rest of the flight." said Hotch

Morgan looked at Spencer as everyone got comfortable.

"I demand a rematch when we get back." said Morgan

"No rematch." said Spencer

"He did win fair and square." said Hotch

At that moment everyone looked at Morgan, Hotch, and Spencer and what surprised them was the slight smirks on both Hotch's and Spencer's faces.

"What were you two boys doing before we got called in?" asked JJ

"Morgan dragged me to the gym to work on my hand to hand combat, and I knocked him down when Hotch decided to announce his presence." said Spencer

"I would have paid to see you knock Derek down." said JJ, causing laughter from everyone but Morgan

"I filmed the match, and I will show you guys after the case." said Hotch as Morgan looked at Hotch in shock

"Blackmail material?" asked Morgan as he thought of the times that Hotch would film his team with his phone

"Pretty much, and I think showing Jack the video would be a great idea." said Hotch

Spencer looked at Hotch.

"Can you send the video to Olivia?" asked Spencer

"Sure." said Hotch as he pulled out his phone and sent the video to Olivia

"Really?" asked Morgan

Spencer looked at Morgan.

"You sometimes forget that you shouldn't mess with a Cal-tech grad." said Spencer

Rossi looked at Spencer.

"When are you and Olivia supposed to get the results of Piper's CT scan?" asked Rossi

"Piper's doctor appointment is tomorrow morning." said Spencer sadly as his phone vibrated, meaning that Olivia finally got back to him

STAY SAFE, AND I WILL CALL YOU AFTER PIPER'S DOCTOR APPOINTMENT. I'M NOT MAD AT YOU FOR MISSING IT, BUT I AM BLAMING THE UNSUB FOR MAKING YOU MISS PIPER'S DOCTOR APPOINTMENT TOMORROW MORNING. AND WHEN YOU GET HOME, I AM GOING TO REWARD YOU FOR TAKING MORGAN DOWN IN THE GYM. ~ OR

"I sent Olivia a test after leaving the locker room and she finally just got back to me, and she said that she will call me after Piper's doctor appointment and tell me the results." said Spencer

"Will you tell us when you find out?" asked JJ

"I will, but there might be times today and tomorrow that I am thinking about Piper instead of this case." said Spencer

"You could have stayed behind if you wanted to." said Hotch

"I know." said Spencer

* * *

Spencer had his arms crossed while JJ lifted up the sheet.

"I counted 40 stab wounds of various depths of penetration." said M. E. Kevin Aylesworth

"He's targeting her femininity. This type of anger stems from a deep-seated hatred of women." said JJ

"Or a woman." said Spencer

"So you think they're surrogates for someone who emasculated him?" asked JJ

"The time and effort it takes to stab someone 40 times takes determination, the sort indicative of someone affected by a past trauma." said Spencer

"Well, if his work here is any indication, he's unraveling quickly. We should take a look at Craig. He triggered the unsub's violence." said JJ

"He certainly put up the biggest fight." said M. E. Aylesworth as he walked over to his computer and pulled up photos that he had taken "Here. Let me show you."

Spencer decided to mention his thoughts first.

"Craig was harder to control." said Spencer

"How did he get the bruising on his chest and back? He was fully clothed when he was found. There's no tears in his shirt." said JJ

"He must not have been wearing it when he was attacked." said Spencer

"The unsub dressed him postmortem. He's showing remorse." said JJ

"Craig was closer to his attacker than we thought." said Spencer

* * *

A short while later Spencer was eating dinner with Morgan and JJ as they Skyped with Garcia about the case.

"I've scoured the victims' social feeds, and I can confirm Michelle is the only one who turned up wearing a watch that didn't belong to her." said Garcia

"Well, she's also the only one not wearing a watch when abducted. Time is somehow important to this unsub." said Morgan

"But not the right time. None of the watches were accurate. That has to mean something." said Spencer

"Well, it's a message, but for whom? The watch he put on Michelle was broken. Could that be his way of saying her time was up?" asked JJ

"Maybe they were taunts, telling us that we're out of time." said Morgan

"Could it be like time of death? You know, like only the unsub understands it notification kind of thing?" asked Garcia

"You know, Garcia might be right." said Spencer

"It happens." said Garcia

"Not about the notifications. The times don't add up. But what if it's a warning? What if he's setting the watches to the time of the next abduction?" asked Spencer

Morgan took a look at the evidence bag and noted the time.

"6:22." said Morgan

"I really hope you're wrong, Spence." said JJ

Before Spencer could answer, his cellphone rang, and he realized that Olivia was about to put Piper to bed.

"Seems like Olivia wants me to say goodnight to Piper." said Spencer as he got up and headed to a quiet corner and answered his phone "How are my girls doing?"

"Who is that Piper?" asked Olivia as Piper squealed when she heard her favorite man's voice

"Hi Daddy." said Piper

At that moment Spencer's lips curled into a small grin at the sound of his daughter's voice.

"How's it going Goober?" asked Spencer

"Miss ya Daddy." said Piper

"And I miss you and your mommy too." said Spencer

"You should say goodnight to Daddy so he can get back to work." said Olivia

"I go seepy Daddy." said Piper

"Good night Piper." said Spencer

"Luv ya Daddy." said Piper

"Love you too, and Livy I will call you when I get to the hotel later." said Spencer

"You better." said Olivia before hanging up

* * *

As Spencer entered the police station, his cellphone rang and he saw that it was Olivia.

"What's up?" asked Spencer softly

"Piper and I are waiting for Dr. Lopez to come into the room with the results. Do you have time to listen in?" asked Olivia

"I actually don't since I was just alerted about another victim, but please call me after Piper's doctor appointment." said Spencer

"Do you have time to say hi to Piper?" asked Olivia

"I actually don't, but please give her a kiss from me and I will give you one when I come home." said Spencer

"I will let you go. I love you and please stay safe." said Olivia

"Love you too." said Spencer before hanging up and heading to the conference room. He opened the door when he saw Morgan put a picture on the board  
"There's been another victim?" asked Spencer

"Doug Warn. An accountant from Boston. Hotch and Rossi are still at the crime scene. Body was dumped near a park." said Morgan

"Was he wearing a watch?" asked Spencer as he set his messenger bag onto a chair before walking over to Morgan who handed him a photo from the crime scene "6:59. Was the watch still working?"

"If you mean by working, still ticking, yeah, but it was at least 2 1/2 hours off, though." said Morgan

Spencer looked at the clear board that they were given to use.

"Now that we have a few working watches, though, we might be able to see a pattern in how or why the unsub changes the times." said Spencer as he grabbed some paper and a pencil and stared writing an algebra problem "Let's see. 6... What time was the body discovered?"

Morgan shook his head when he noticed the algebra problem that Spencer wrote down.

"I don't know. An hour ago, maybe. Why?" asked Morgan

"You know the exact time?" asked Spencer as he looked at Morgan

Morgan took a look at some papers as Spencer continued to write down the algebra problem.

"A jogger called it in... At...9:04. He was running laps, so the body couldn't have been laying there more than a few minutes." said Morgan

"Six." mumbled Spencer to himself as he continued writing the algebra problem on some note cards before looking at the clear board "I... Think I know what the messages say." said Spencer

"Well, Reid, spit it out already." said Morgan

"6:22." said Spencer

"OK, are you talking about Michelle's watch or Doug's watch?" asked Morgan

"I'm talking about all the watches. If you take the times the bodies were discovered, subtract the variance the corresponding watches are off by, you land within plus or minus 6 minutes of 6:22 every single time. Which, taking into consideration the time between dump and discovery and all the public areas and the fact that the only broken watch we found was already stuck at 6:22, it's reasonable to deduce the unsub sets the watches to the exact same time just before disposing of the bodies." rambled Spencer before taking a deep breath "So stupid. It was literally staring me in the face the whole time. I don't know how I missed it." said Spencer as he thought about how occupied he is since he's supposed to get a phone call within the next couple of minutes

"Come on, Reid, stop. You're the only person who can realize all of this. So what does 6:22 mean?" asked Morgan

"I have no idea." said Spencer

"Reid." said Morgan

"All I know is what it says. I don't know what it means." said Spencer before he continued to write as he spoke "Before entering this room a couple of minutes ago, I got a call from Olivia asking if I could listen in over the phone and I told her that I couldn't since there was another victim."

"Olivia will call you after Piper's appointment." said Morgan

"I know, but Olivia and Piper were waiting for Dr. Lopez to enter the room when Livy called me and I should be getting a phone call any minute." said Spencer

"And when Olivia calls, you should answer the phone." said Morgan

At that moment Spencer's cellphone rang. He saw that it was Olivia and looked at Morgan.

"Is it Olivia?" asked Morgan

"Yeah, and please stay in here just in case I get bad news." said Spencer as he answered his cellphone "Got the results?"

"Piper didn't develop any coronary aneurysms." said Olivia with a smile on her face

Spencer released the breath that he was holding before speaking up.

"That's great." said Spencer

"But she will be having a follow up echocardiogram in six months, and I already scheduled it." said Olivia as she watched Piper babble to her teddy bear "Do you have time to say hi to your daughter before Piper and I head over to Georgetown?"

"I have to get back to work, but please give Piper a kiss from me and I will give you that promised kiss when I get home." said Spencer

"I love you, and we are going to celebrate when you get home." said Olivia

"I love all four of you, and can you please call my dad and tell him the news?" asked Spencer

"I will." said Olivia before hanging up

Morgan looked at Spencer.

"Piper didn't develop any heart problems?" asked Morgan

"She didn't develop any coronary aneurysms." grinned Spencer

"That's great, man." said Morgan

"I'm relieved that she didn't develop any coronary aneurysms, but her heart will still be monitored for the rest of her life." said Spencer

* * *

Spencer looked Rossi, Hotch, JJ, and Alex as they entered the room.

"Before we start discussing the profile, I thought that I should tell you guys how Piper's follow up went." said Spencer

"How did it go?" asked Alex

"Piper didn't develop any coronary aneurysms, but in six months she is going back to Children's National for an echocardiogram." said Spencer

"That's great." said JJ as she hugged Spencer

* * *

"We believe we're looking for a white homosexual male in his mid- to late 20s who is suffering from an identity crisis." said Hotch

"This man can't accept his same-sex desires, but he can't fight them either. He's most likely been repressing all sexual urges for quite some time." said JJ

"The first victim, Craig Pickett, represents a fall from the wagon, if you will. Intercourse between the two men was most likely the unsub's trigger." said Rossi

"Immediately after copulation, the male's serotonin levels drop. The high is achieved during sex. That rapid change can manifest itself in extreme depression and low self-esteem." said Spencer

"Combined with an apparent belief that acting on his attraction towards other men is wrong, this state causes the unsub to lash out violently at those he's with." said Alex

"As his levels normalize, he begins to feel remorse for what he's done and tries to correct his course." said Rossi

"This is where Heather and Michelle come in. After killing Craig, the unsub sought out women that he was desperate to be attracted to." said Morgan

"But he's trapped in a scenario with an impossible outcome. He can't force himself to like women, so when he's unable to get aroused, he becomes depressed again and lashes out in anger to the people he blames for his impotence." said JJ

"The circular logic dictating his never-ending cycle was not formed overnight. It most likely came about due to years of serious abuse, either emotional, physical, or both." said Spencer

"The most popular motive for trying to overcome same-sex attraction is the need to be accepted by the parent or loved one who has rejected the individual because of their homosexuality." said Alex

"So focus on men who grew up in a broken home and suffered under the guardianship of a domineering parent, as well as those who fell victim to bigotry or bullying." said Morgan

"The bottom line is, this unsub will not stop killing. With each failed attempt to become aroused by women or to avoid giving in to his same-sex urges, he becomes more desperate and more dangerous. Thank you." said Hotch

* * *

Spencer was sitting at the conference room table with Rossi while video chatting with Garcia as Morgan entered the room.

"Getting the 4-1-1 on a 6-2-2 is not easy. I am looking up that date, and June 22 is quite eventful in recent history." said Garcia

"It sounds like miss thing's got something good." said Morgan

"Well, uh, let's see. On this date in 1990, Florida banned the wearing of thong bikinis." said Garcia

"I said good, baby girl." said Morgan

Garcia smiled before speaking up again.

"Right, right. OK. Let's see. June 22, 1992, Supreme Court ruled Minnesota hate crime laws violated free speech. The defendant burned a cross on the front yard of an African-American family's house who lived next door." said Garcia

"Nothing in the unsub's profile suggests racial motivation, though." said Spencer

"No, but the cross has me thinking. Many religions suggest that following through on homosexual desires invites condemnation. What if the unsub is struggling with his faith? Garcia, are there any 6:22 Bible passages that are relevant?" asked Rossi

"Yeah, I thought of that, but the most popular one is Matthew 6:22 and it has to do with lights and eyes. I don't see how that fits." said Garcia

At that moment Spencer started to mentally read the Bible in his head trying to figure out which verse would work.

"All right, well, let's look at this another way. What are the passages that specifically relate to homosexuality?" asked Morgan

Before Garcia could answer, Spencer spoke up.

"That's it. He's not saying 6:22. He's saying 18:22. As in Leviticus 18:22. "Thou shalt not lie with mankind as with womankind, for it is an abomination." said Spencer as Rossi got up

"He converted 18:22 to 6:22 PM. Like military time." said Rossi

"Maybe the unsub suffered abuse at the hands of someone citing God's will that he should change." said Spencer

"It wouldn't be the first time someone took the good book and twisted it for their own agenda." said Rossi

"OK, but if you wanted to change someone's sexual orientation, how could you do it? I mean, you're not gonna guilt somebody into that." said Morgan

"Uh, I'm seeing some stuff about an ex-gay movement. It looks like some kind of a 12-step program." said Garcia

"A 12-step program usually doesn't traumatize the participant." said Rossi

"But conversion therapy might. Several conversion camps have been shut down recently 'cause their methods border on torture." said Spencer

"Yeah, but why would any faith condone the torture of children?" asked Morgan

"None of them would. Even a religion that frowns on homosexuality. None of them would cross that line." said Rossi

"Garcia, are there conversion camps in the area?" asked Morgan

"Uh... I got a hit. Camp Willing operates just outside of Austin. Their motto is, "It's time to change." And guess which biblical passage is on their home page." said Garcia as Morgan wrote everything down

* * *

"What you got, mama?" asked Morgan

"A man named Mitchell Ruiz went to Camp Willing in 2003. He works at the same office as our dearly departed Doug Warn." said Garcia

"What's the catch?" asked Rossi

"Well, Mitchell's office just reported him missing. He went to go look for Doug, he never returned." said Garcia

"So Mitchell either is our unsub or he fell victim to him." said Spencer

"I did a little research to see if he was one of the good kids or the bad kids. It turns out that Mitchell's parents, 3 weeks into that conversion camp, they started making private payments to a dummy corp that was shut down two years ago for prostitution, as in one prostitute, Isabella Grant." said Garcia as a fax machine whirred and Spencer got up to grab what Garcia sent them "And from the amount of money they were paying her, you have to wonder what morals she wasn't willing to chew up and swallow."

* * *

Morgan pulled over and Spencer and Rossi got out of the SUV.

"It's Paul's truck." said Morgan

A few seconds later Spencer followed Morgan into the house as Rossi went in another way, and before they knew it they heard gunshots causing all three men to go downstairs and they saw Paul holding a gun to his own head.

"Don't do it! Don't do it, Paul." ordered Morgan

"There's nothing left for me here." said Paul

Spencer quickly gazed at Paul's wrist and noticed track marks as he pointed his gun at Paul.

"Look at his wrist. Track marks." said Spencer

"What happened to you in that camp, Paul?" asked Morgan

"It doesn't matter anymore." said Paul

"Yes, it does. You kill yourself, they get away with it. If you testify, we can shut them down for good." said Morgan

"What good? I'm an abomination." said Paul

"No, you're not. If you want to live your life according to a single message, go ahead. But try John 13:34 instead. "A new command I give you. "Love one another. As I have loved you, you must love one another." said Rossi

"The best way for you to do that is to put that gun down. Paul, you are a victim. And there are others being victimized right now that you can help. Wouldn't Mitchell want you to do everything possible to make sure that nobody else suffered your same fate? Come on. Put it down."

At that moment Paul put his gun down, and Rossi handcuffed him.

* * *

The following evening Spencer entered the house and grinned when he saw Piper sitting on the floor babbling to Einstein who was laying next to her and he noticed Olivia in the kitchen making dinner as he inhaled the scent of spaghetti sauce.

"What are you telling Einstein?" asked Spencer

At that moment Piper's eyes went wide as she turned her head when she heard her favorite man.

"Daddy!" exclaimed Piper as she used Einstein to get into a standing position before hanging onto the coffee table and taking a few steps while hanging onto the coffee table and walked towards her daddy

"Can you come to Daddy so I can give you a hug?" asked Spencer in a coaxing manner as he knelt down and held his arms out

At that moment Olivia came into the living room and placed her hand over her mouth as she watched Piper walk while hanging onto furniture towards Spencer's open arms, causing her to pull out her phone and film the moment.

Piper started whimpering when she realized that she didn't have anything to hang onto to as she tried to reach her daddy who was smiling at her with his arms out, but then she let go of the coffee table and took 12 wobbly steps towards her daddy and fell into his arms.

At that moment Spencer stood up to his full height with his baby girl in his arms as he hugged her.

"Daddy's so proud of you Goober." beamed Spencer when he saw Olivia filming the moment with tears streaming down her face as he hugged his daughter and Olivia made her way over to her two favorite people

"Mommy's proud of you too." said Olivia as she kissed her daughter's growing light brown curls

"I missed all four of you." said Spencer as he hugged his two girls before kneeling down to kiss Olivia's 22 week belly and feeling two kicks from his unborn son and daughter

"We will have to start childproofing the house since Piper took her first steps at only eight months." said Olivia

At that moment Spencer sniffed the air.

"Is something burning?" asked Spencer

At that moment Olivia rushed to the kitchen as Spencer followed her with Piper in his arms, and Olivia looked at Spencer.

"It's spaghetti night, and Piper's going to try it for the first time so can you please undress her so we don't have to worry about her staining her clothing?" asked Olivia as she pulled the garlic bread out of the oven

"Sure, and can you please send me that video you made?" asked Spencer as he started to strip Piper down before putting her in her high chair

"I will, and we definitely need to send the video to your father too." said Olivia as she finished on getting dinner ready

A few minutes later the growing family were sitting down eating dinner as Olivia told Spencer about the past two days.

* * *

Spencer and Olivia laughed at their spaghetti sauce covered daughter as they took a few pictures of Piper with their phones before starting to clean up.

"You definitely need a bath sweet pea, and luckily Daddy agreed to give you your bath." laughed Olivia as she used some wipes to clean Piper up a bit

"At least we decided to undress Piper before putting her in her high chair." said Spencer as he rinsed the dirty dishes

A few minutes later Spencer was getting Piper into her bath, and smiled at his daughter.

"Let's get you cleaned up and into warm pajamas." said Spencer as he started working on getting Piper clean while Piper would play with a few of her toys that her daddy placed into the tub

A short while later Spencer and Olivia were curled up together on the couch with Piper on her daddy's lap as Olivia played patty cake with her before Spencer decided to play the tickle monster on Piper.

* * *

The next morning Spencer was grinning as he set his go bag and messenger bag under his desk before removing his jacket and both Alex and JJ smiled at him.

"Seems like you had a great evening with Olivia and Piper." said Alex

"I sure did, and I have a bunch of new pictures and videos to show off." said Spencer

"I want to see them." said JJ

"If I am going to be showing off new pictures, I might as well share them with everyone at the same time." said Spencer as he noticed Hotch, Morgan, Garcia, and Rossi talking by the coffee maker, each with either a cup of coffee or a cup of tea

A few minutes later Spencer was looking at his teammates.

"I have some new pictures and videos of Piper." said Spencer

"Let's see them." said Garcia

Spencer pulled out his cellphone.

"Last night Livy and I had spaghetti for dinner, and we gave Piper some spaghetti since she's old enough to eat pasta now. After she was finished eating, Livy and I had to take pictures." said Spencer as he showed his teammates a picture of Piper covered in spaghetti sauce

At that moment everyone laughed except Hotch, whose lips curled into a slight smile at the sight of a smiling Piper covered in spaghetti sauce.

"I just can't believe that Piper's eight months old." said Garcia

"Me neither." said Spencer

"Pretty soon she's going to start walking." said Rossi

"Oh that reminds me that I have a video to show you guys." said Spencer as he opened up the video that he didn't save into his photo gallery "This happened when I entered the house yesterday evening, and I didn't want to say anything until showing this video." said Spencer as he started to play the video

Everyone gasped when they saw Piper walking towards Spencer while holding onto furniture before letting go and taking a few wobbly steps towards Spencer before falling into his arms and then heard Spencer tell Piper that he's proud of her.

"It seems like she's going to be an athlete with how early she is with motor skills." beamed JJ as she thought about her goddaughter

"I just knew that I had to see what Piper was going to do, and I have read that babies can start walking at eight months old." beamed Spencer as he started telling his teammates about milestones that eight month old babies reach

When Spencer was done talking, Hotch looked at Spencer.

"Even though I've told you this a lot since Piper's birth, fatherhood definitely looks good on you." said Hotch with everyone else nodding in agreement since they noticed how Spencer has changed since Piper's birth

"I know." said Spencer

* * *

 _A/N: I read that babies can start walking at eight months old, and I thought that with Spencer coming home from a rough case (No victims of Paul's survived despite a conversion camp getting shut down which_ _could be considered_ _a win) and witnessing Piper take her first steps would help cheer Spencer up big time. Plus you guys probably know what case is going to happen next that will cause Spencer to stay later at the BAU, so I needed a bunch of cute moments from Piper in this chapter._


	29. Carbon Copy

Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds

 _A/N: Shout out to OhSnapItsMadison for being the 150th reviewer, and also a shout out to snowdrop65, tannerose5, Mrs. JaganshiReidofHufflepuff, and Hippichic81 for reviewing chapter 28._

 _I have made changes to the episode Carbon Copy since I didn't do the Maeve storyline but did a sick Piper storyline instead. So to refresh your memory I highly recommend that you go back to chapter 23 where Spencer got the zugzwang taunt._

* * *

Strauss entered the bullpen around lunchtime and was surprised to see that only Spencer was sitting at his desk working on consults while eating his lunch. At that moment she decided to go over and chat with him before everyone else gets back.

"Why didn't you go out to lunch with your teammates Spencer?" asked Strauss as she grabbed an empty chair, pulled it over to his desk and sat down as her way to keep him company

Spencer looked up from his file and pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose before making eye contact with Strauss.

"Since I helped Jason with his class this morning, I decided to work on my consults while eating leftovers from last night's dinner after talking to Olivia and Piper on the phone for a few minutes." said Spencer before taking another bite of his chicken stir fry before taking a sip of his water

"Speaking of Piper, have any new pictures of her to show me other than the ones you have displayed on your desk?" asked Strauss

Spencer smiled at Strauss's mention of his daughter before speaking.

"I have a video you might like to see that Olivia filmed when I came home from that case in Texas last week." said Spencer as he unplugged his phone from the charger he had it connected to

"Well let me see it." said Strauss

20 seconds later Strauss was watching the video and she couldn't hide her smile at the part with Piper taking those steps towards her grinning father.

"Seeing that video of Piper reminds me of when my three children took their first steps." said Strauss

"I just can't believe that Piper's already eight month old." said Spencer as he picked up the very first photo of him and Piper together and stared at it while flashing back to one of the first things he said to his daughter

Strauss looked at the photo Spencer was holding, then she at the young agent that she ended up became more fond of a year ago when he became her sponsor at Beltway Clean Cops.

"Spencer, with seeing how big Piper has gotten over the past eight months, I know that I don't have to remind you to cherish and remember seeing Piper this small before she becomes a teenager or college students like my own children." said Strauss

"I know, and I can't believe that in about 17 weeks Albert and Ava will be born." said Spencer as he thought about how fast time has gone since Olivia told him that she was expecting again

"What else has to be done before the twins birth?" asked Strauss as she thought back to a few weeks prior to hearing that Spencer and Olivia were actually expecting twins instead of just their firstborn son

"The nurseries are finished, and other than extra doctor appointments since Livy's now dealing with a high risk pregnancy there's going to be a surprise baby shower thrown at my house." said Spencer

"Well I do have a few gifts for Piper and your unborn son and daughter so before you go home please stop by my office so I can give you those gifts." said Strauss

"You didn't need to." said Spencer

"It's one of my ways to thank you for this past year." said Strauss as she gave Spencer an understanding look before getting up and walking away

* * *

A few hours later Spencer closed up his last consult and JJ looked at him.

"Have any new pictures of Piper that were sent today?" asked JJ

"Yeah." said Spencer as he pulled out his phone and started showing JJ pictures as he watched Strauss and Alex talk

"I just can't believe how long Piper's hair has gotten since her birth." said JJ as she looked at Piper's jaw length light brown curls

"Both Livy and I were born with full heads of hair." said Spencer as he focused on Strauss and Alex, causing JJ to turn her attention

"Uh-oh. I think Blake could take her. What do you think?" asked JJ

Spencer looked at his boss who gave him back his one year medallion when she earned her own who was trying to make amends with Alex.

"Mm, their body language hardly seems adversarial. Blake's making direct eye contact, and the tilt of her head suggests she's willingly engaged in conversation." said Spencer as he got up from his chair to get a better look while holding a file in his hands

"Didn't Strauss throw her under the bus back in the day?" asked JJ as she looked at her surrogate little brother who knew Alex longer than her

"It was on the Amerithrax case about 10 years ago. Evidently they apprehended the wrong suspect and she let Blake take the fall." said Spencer as Garcia walked towards them with a vase full of flowers

"Well, I heard they even demoted her a couple grades." said JJ

At that moment Garcia was walking towards them with a vase in her arms.

"Guess what just came to the reception desk for an Agent Jennifer Jareau." said Garcia as she set the vase on a desk

"From who?" asked JJ

"They must be from Will. Or someone's got some 'splainin' to do. Open it. Open it. Open it." said Garcia

At that moment JJ grabbed the envelope.

"Just... Will's not really a flower bouquet type of guy." said JJ as she opened the envelope "Zugzwang." said JJ

At that moment Spencer's face paled flashed back to the phone call he had two hours before he and Olivia rushed Piper to Children's National for possible Kawasaki Disease.

"What's wrong Spence?" asked JJ as she noticed Spencer's face paling

"What? Let me see that." said Spencer

"What's going on Spence?" asked JJ

"On the day that Piper got diagnosed with Kawasaki Disease, I got a collect call on the land line and there was a computer generated voice saying Zugzwang. I only thought that it was a prank call." said Spencer as he explained the meaning of Zugzwang to JJ and Garcia

"Why didn't you tell us about that call?" asked JJ

"I was too worried about Piper, so I forgot about that phone call until now." said Spencer

"So who called you?" asked Garcia

"No idea." said Spencer

JJ quickly thought back to when Spencer mentioned that the phone call he received was computer generated.

"Wait... Didn't you say the voice on the other end of that phone call was computer generated?" asked JJ

"That means it could be from anybody." said Garcia

"Whoever it was... They knew you would be home taking care of Piper. Which means they were stalking you." said JJ

"Or us. What if this is the Replicator." asked Spencer as he saw Alex and Strauss coming towards them "We need to tell the others now." said Spencer as Strauss and Alex approached them

"What's wrong?" asked Strauss as she looked at the panicked faces that Spencer, JJ, and Garcia were showing.

At that moment Spencer and JJ started explaining what was going on and Strauss looked at Spencer, JJ, Alex, and Garcia.

"You four inform the others and I will go talk to the Director." said Strauss as she walked away

A few minutes later Spencer and his teammates were in the conference room and Spencer looked at his teammates.

"The Replicator is targeting us, and I was the first one to be taunted by a phone call. I didn't even realize it until seeing the message that was with the flowers that were just delivered to JJ." said Spencer

"Can you please tell us about the phone call that you got?" asked Hotch

At that moment Spencer started explaining about the phone call and what Zugzwang meant, and a short while later Strauss came into the room.

"I just came from the Director's office. He doesn't like the idea that his agents are being taunted and he wants me to keep him personally in the loop. Catch me up, please." said Strauss

"Okay, so, uh, the flowers cleared all of our security checkpoints. Which means there's no explosives, no chemical residue. Nothing. They were ordered from a local florist- Wendy's Bloomers. I checked Wendy, her bloomers, the employees, the delivery service. They all came out clean. I managed to track down the credit card. It's a stolen card number, and it was ordered from a prepaid cell phone in Philadelphia." said Garcia

"It's all about the message he's trying to send." said Alex

"But they were sent to JJ. Why her?" asked Morgan

"Yeah, the original zugzwang taunt was directed at me." said Spencer

"If it's directed at one of us, it's directed at all of us." said Rossi as his way to calm Spencer down a bit

"It's only a matter of time before his taunts turn to threats." said Morgan

"I'm posting security details at each of our homes." said Hotch

Spencer sighed in relief, knowing that his two girls and unborn son and daughter will be protected.

"Well, he's communicating directly. What exactly is he trying to say?" asked Alex

"That the game has changed. First he was chasing us, copying the cases that we'd solved, and now it's our turn to chase him." said Hotch

"Tag, we're it." said Rossi

"What do we know about the Replicator?" asked Strauss

"So far he's committed 3 murders in 3 different states." said Hotch

"The first was Maxwell Holmes, 28-year-old contractor, husband, and father of two, from Dallas." said Garcia

"He was found with his mouth sewn shut 4 weeks after we closed the Silencer case." said JJ

"Next is an unidentified John Doe. He was found in New Mexico near the Mexican border." said Garcia

"His leg was severed and someone else's was transplanted on." said JJ

"Do we have any idea where the limb comes from?" asked Strauss

"None." said Morgan

"Finally, Megan Lewinbuck, 31-year-old paralegal, single mother. She was found in Phoenix." said Garcia

"She was found last week. All her joints were dislocated and she'd been turned into a human marionette." said Alex

"And that's everything so far. Local police and Bureau field offices are going to keep us apprised of any developments." said Hotch

"I want this case closed quickly. Copycat murders, flowers sent. I see this as an assault on the entire Bureau." said Strauss

At that moment Garcia's laptop gave an alert.

"Uh, sir, Philadelphia P. D. just uploaded a homicide to ViCAP. An unidentified woman was found this morning exsanguinated with her eyelids removed." said Garcia

"It's just like our blood artist Bryan Hughes." said Morgan

"Philadelphia, the same city the flowers were ordered from." said Spencer

"Jet's standing by. Wheels up in 20." said Hotch as he got up and approached Spencer who was about to get on his phone "I will make sure the security detail posted outside your home knows that Olivia is pregnant with twins." said Hotch

"Good to know, and when I tell Olivia over the phone I am going to have her sit down." said Spencer as he dialed Olivia's number

"Are you on your way home?" asked Olivia

"No because I am heading to Philadelphia since we have a lead on the Replicator, and please sit down and stay calm so I can tell you what's going on." said Spencer calmly

At that moment Spencer heard Olivia plop down on the couch.

"What's going on Spencer?" asked Olivia

"The Replicator is stalking my teammates and me, so there's going to be a security detail outside our home for the unforeseeable future and you just have to follow your normal routine while making sure that all windows and doors are locked while the security system is armed." said Spencer

"OK." said Olivia as she thought about when Spencer told her that he and his teammates have been stalked by unsubs before

"Well I have to head to the jet, and while I am in Philadelphia can you please text me whenever you go somewhere to let me know that you made it there safely?" asked Spencer

"I will, and please make sure that you stay safe." said Olivia

"I am sorry that you have to deal with a security detail outside our home." said Spencer

"When I agreed to marry you, I knew what I signed up for and maybe after the twins are born you can teach me some self defense moves and how to shoot a gun." said Olivia

"We'll see." said Spencer

"I love you Spencer." said Olivia

"I love you, Piper, and our unborn son and daughter." said Spencer before hanging up before looking at JJ

"How did Will take it with having a security detail posted in front of our homes?" asked Spencer

"With him being a cop he thinks that he doesn't need one, but he said to tell you that he will check in on Olivia and Piper while we are in Philadelphia." said JJ

"I will let her know." said Spencer as he quickly sent Olivia a text message

* * *

"The Replicator sent those flowers today, knowing that that body would be discovered." said JJ

"And he's taken the time to track our cases." said Alex

"It's not too much trouble to track news headlines with a Google search." said Morgan

"Yeah, but the original zugzwang message was delivered to me at my house, which means he's not just tracking our cases, he's tracking everything we do." said Spencer as he thought about all the outings he, Olivia, and Piper have gone on since Piper's birth

"Why would someone do that?" asked JJ

"We've been taunted before. Guys like Randall Garner. Usually malignant narcissists who feel the need to show off." said Rossi

"So maybe he wants us to see how smart he is." said Morgan

"But why? What's the point? Is it a warning? Is he mocking us?" asked Alex

"Maybe all of the above." said Morgan

"He's not attempting to hide his kills, so it's probably his way of bragging." said Rossi

"He's probably trying to lure us out. He certainly wants our attention." said Hotch

"We have a total of 4 copycat murders and no apparent connection between the victims." said Spencer

"My guess is they're all targets of opportunity. Who he kills doesn't matter. The point is to get to us." said Rossi

"The latest victim was in Philadelphia. Bryan Hughes bled his victims in San Francisco." said Alex

"All the other copycat murders occurred in the same area as the original kills. Why is this one different?" asked Morgan

"It's his game. He can change the rules anytime he wants." said Rossi

"All that traveling- clearly he's got the money and the time." said JJ

"And patience. His organization and attention to detail suggests some sort of bigger plan." said Hotch

At that moment Garcia's face popped up on the monitors.

"Greetings, crime-fighters. We just got an I. D. On the first exsanguinated, eyelidless body. Her name is Molly Patton, 27. She was a nurse at a local hospital." said Garcia

"Garcia, what do you mean by first?" asked Spencer

"I mean that a second exsanguinated, eyelidless body was just discovered." said Garcia

"He's moving fast." said Rossi

At that moment Spencer's phone vibrated and he saw a text message from Olivia.

THE AGENT WHO WILL BE SITTING OUTSIDE OUR HOME AT NIGHT IS GINA SHARP, AND I WILL LET YOU KNOW WHO WILL BE OUR DAYTIME AGENT IN THE MORNING. ~ OR

Spencer looked at Hotch.

"You picked Gina Sharp to sit outside my home at night?" asked Spencer

"With Olivia being pregnant with twins, I thought that having female agents who have met her before being part of your security detail would be a good idea." said Hotch

"Makes sense." said Spencer

* * *

Spencer, JJ, and Morgan approached Detective Rizzo who was talking to another officer.

"Can I help you?" asked Detective Rizzo

"I'm Agent Morgan. Agent Jareau. Dr. Spencer Reid." said Morgan

"Feds? What are you doing here?" asked Detective Rizzo

"Assisting the investigation." said Morgan

"Well, no one told me." said Detective Rizzo

"Someone probably just forgot to make a phone call. Just an oversight, I'm sure." said JJ

"Yeah, I guess so." said Detective Rizzo as he noticed the determined looks on all three of the agents faces

"You mind showing us the victim?" asked Spencer

"Yeah, right this way." said Detective Rizzo as he motioned for the three agents to follow him

At that moment Spencer, JJ, Morgan, and Detective Rizzo ducked under the crime scene tape without lifting it up as they headed to the victim.

"Is there anything you can tell us about her?" asked JJ

"Her name was Sandy Larson. Went missing two days ago. She was a retired widow with 6 grand-kids." said Detective Rizzo

"Any idea where she was last seen?" asked Morgan

"Found her car at a drugstore across town. Apparently she fills a prescription every Wednesday morning." said Detective Rizzo as he and the three agents looked at the body of Sandy Larson on the bench

"If that's where he grabbed her, he was probably aware of her routine." said Spencer

"She's fully clothed and he posed the body." said Morgan

"It could mean he feels remorse." said JJ

"Oh, yeah. I'm sure he was all broken up about it." said Detective Rizzo as his phone rang "Excuse me." said Detective Rizzo "Rizzo." before walking away

"He's replicating his replication. All the other copycat murders were single kills, but this is his second exsanguination." said Spencer

"Bryan Hughes posed his victims staring directly at art. There's nothing like that around here." said Morgan

"Different setting, slightly different M. O. Are we sure this is the Replicator?" asked JJ

* * *

Spencer looked at the photo of Hotch as he thought about when the photo was taken before speaking to his teammates.

"It's impossible to tell when or where this photo was taken. It's shot on a telephoto lens and the frame's too small." said Spencer before Alex took the photo

"Well, his message is getting more clear. He's not just taunting us, now he's targeting us." said JJ

"He must have channeled years of anger to come up with a plan as intricate as this." said Spencer

"This is his way of torturing us. This isn't just about anger. This is about revenge." said Morgan

"For what?" asked Alex

"If we can figure that out that's how we'll catch him." said Spencer

"So first it was Reid getting a phone call on his land line, then me with the flowers, now Hotch. Which one of us is next?" asked JJ

Spencer looked at his teammates.

"I find it creepy that the Replicator's latest victim is the same age as my wife, a mother to a young child, and has brown hair and blue eyes like my wife." said Spencer

"I think so too Spencer, but be glad that there's a security detail protecting your wife and daughter right now." said Alex as she laid a comforting hand on Spencer's arm

* * *

Spencer was sitting with his teammate around a conference room table, video conferencing with Strauss.

"This psychopath's message is clearly personal and it's making us look bad. Someone profiling our profilers undermines the efficacy of everything you do, and I'm going to be frank with you. Both the Director and the Attorney General want to take you off this case, and I can't say I totally disagree." said Strauss

"Why?" asked Rossi

"Because you're victims now, and I'm concerned your ability to investigate may be compromised." said Strauss

"Yeah, well, I assure you our abilities are just fine." said Rossi

"Is that true, Aaron?" asked Strauss

"Yes, it is, ma'am, absolutely." said Hotch

"We know this case better than anyone." said Rossi

"All right. Well, I'll tell the Director if he takes you off the case, it's either with my resignation or over my dead body." said Strauss as she saw the interesting reactions from her agents

"Ma'am, we're starting the briefing now." said Anderson

"I'll be right there." said Strauss before focusing on her team "You catch this son of a bitch, Aaron." said Strauss

"Understood." said Hotch before the screen went blank

"Do you really think they'd replace us?" asked JJ

"Sounds like you'd have to kill Strauss first, and I doubt if that's as easy as it sounds." said Rossi

At that moment Hotch decided to get everyone on task.

"All right, so what do we know?" asked Hotch

"This photo isn't digital. It was printed on real chromogenic photo paper." said Spencer

"So he's old school." said JJ

"We're still trying to ascertain when the photo was taken." said Alex as Hotch's phone rang

"Garcia, I'm putting you on speaker." said Hotch

"You guys, there are a shocking number of weirdoes out there who have a thing for nurses. But I got a gigantenormous hit. 15 years ago, the BAU had a case in Pittsburgh involving the stabbing murders of 4 nurses." said Garcia

"Pittsburgh? That's close enough to be related." said JJ

"That rings a bell. But I didn't work that case, Gideon did." said Rossi

"Yeah, yeah. It ended relatively well. The killer, Jack Lee Kemper was caught, and we managed to save one of his would-be victims." said Garcia

"Garcia, what happened to Kemper?" asked Morgan

"He died 5 months ago from lethal injection." said Garcia

"What if that was the trigger? The Silencer copycat murder happened about 5 months ago." said Spencer

* * *

"We believe we're looking for a white male in his mid-40s or possibly even 50s." said Hotch

"He's criminally and forensically sophisticated, so he may be an ex-con or have law enforcement training." said Rossi

"You saying he could be a cop?" asked Captain Jackson

"It's unlikely, but we can't rule it out." said JJ

"This unsub is using his victims as a device with which to antagonize the FBI, the BAU in particular." said Spencer

"So he's after you." said Detective Rizzo

"He's been copycatting murder cases that we've closed all over the country." said Spencer

"We do have reason to believe that he's been stalking each member of this team." said Morgan

"So he's extremely mobile and has the time and the means with which to get around." said Alex

"And the intelligence to cover his tracks and remain evasive." said Morgan

"We think it all started 15 years ago with a case we had in Pittsburgh that involved the death of 4 nurses." said Rossi

"That killer, Jack Lee Kemper, was apprehended, and he was recently executed." said Hotch

"Because the most recent exsanguination victims were also nurses, we believe this case holds some kind of special meaning to him." said Spencer

"So we should be looking at Kemper's family, friends, and associates." said JJ

"They may be trying to avenge his death, or they might be convinced that he was wrongfully accused." said Alex

"We should also look at friend and relatives of the victims. They may blame us for not solving the case fast enough." said Morgan

"This unsub is intelligent and highly organized, but he's also hellbent on revenge." said Rossi

"Which makes him especially dangerous. Thank you." said Hotch

* * *

"Well, we've ruled out every name on the list. Our guy's not connected to Jack Lee Kemper's victims." said JJ as she, Spencer, and Detective Rizzo came back into the conference room

"You know, if they were just friends or lovers, there might not be an official record of their relationship." said Spencer

"The only living relative Kemper has is a third cousin who lives in Alaska." said Morgan

"Well, it wasn't one of his friends. Kemper didn't have any. He was a recluse with no social skills." said Alex

"Well, who else would have a vendetta against us?" asked Spencer

"It could be a fan of Kemper's. These guys always seem to have followers." said Morgan

"What about somebody we put into prison?" asked JJ

"It's a little hard to orchestrate all of this from behind bars." said Morgan

"What if somebody from the outside's helping him?" asked Spencer

"And how about other suspects in the case?" asked JJ

"That's it." said Rossi

"What?" asked Morgan

"Bidwell. Donnie Bidwell. Of course. He was the primary suspect before we caught Kemper. We had a strong circumstantial case, but DNA eventually cleared him. His name got leaked to the press the second we grabbed him." said Rossi

"Why so fast?" asked JJ

"We thought it was probably someone in the local P. D." said Rossi

"How long did we hold him for?" asked Spencer

"Couple of weeks." said Rossi

At that moment Garcia answered Hotch's phone call.

"Give me stuff to do." said Garcia

"Garcia, I need everything you've got on Donnie Bidwell. He was a suspect in the Jack Lee Kemper case." said Hotch

"Righty-o. OK, he was picked up a couple of times for assault and lewd behavior. He got off with time served and probation. He is a recently divorced father of two. He cannot hold down a job. I count 1, 2, 3, 4, 5... 12 jobs in the last 10 years, everything from fry cook to used car salesman." said Garcia

"Yeah, but before all that he was in construction or something, right?" asked Rossi

"Affirmative. He owned his own hot mop shower pan company, whatever that is. That business went south after the arrest. His legal fees wiped him out, and then a year later- oh, dear, he had himself a nervous breakdown." said Garcia

"No wonder he wants payback. That accusation ruined his life." said Alex

"Have you got an address?" asked Hotch

"Yeah, I got home and work and I'm sending both." said Garcia

"Thanks." said Hotch before hanging up

"We better make sure we get this right before we arrest this guy again." said JJ

"Rossi, Blake, and Reid take the work address. The rest of us will take the house." said Hotch

* * *

Spencer was going through Bidwell's home with Hotch and he approached Hotch.

"Found this in the hall closet. It's all about the nurse murders 15 years ago. There's two sets of files, one about his arrest, the other about Jack Lee Kemper." said Hotch as he showed Spencer the files

"It's not surprising he obsessed over the case." said Spencer as Hotch's cellphone rang

"Hotchner." said Hotch

"Oh, sir, hi, it's me." said Garcia

"Garcia, whose number is this?" asked Hotch

"Sorry. I had Anderson give me a ride. I desperately needed a shower and some food that wasn't sold in a machine. OK, so I cleaned out Bidwell's computer and I checked his phone records. He mostly calls his ex-wife. A lot of emails, too. It is not a pretty picture. They separated a few years ago. She took the kids with her. They just recently got the divorce finalized. She's already pregnant with another guy's kid." said Garcia

"When was the divorce finalized?" asked Hotch

"Uh, 5 months." said Garcia

"This might not have been about Kemper's execution at all. The divorce might have been the stressor." said Hotch

"Oh, and, sir, his ex-wife, she's a nurse." said Garcia before hanging up

* * *

Spencer was pulling stuff out from underneath the couch when Hotch approached him.

"His car's got almost 100,000 miles on it." said Hotch

"You think he drove cross-country to replicate those murders?" asked Spencer

"Well, with his sporadic work schedule, it's possible. Plus, it's cheaper than flying." said Hotch

At that moment Spencer pulled a box out and started going through photos.

"Hotch. It's printed on photographic paper also." said Spencer as he passed the photos to Hotch before looking into an envelope and saw eye lids with eye lashes attached

"Those are eyelids." said Hotch

"Yeah." said Spencer grimly

"I'll let the rest of the team know." said Hotch grimly as he pulled out his phone

* * *

Spencer exited Bidwell's house and approached Hotch who had just pocketed his phone.

"So Bidwell confessed to the exsanguinations, but he wants to see his lawyer before he admits to anything else." said Hotch

"We've found more than enough evidence to prove he's the Replicator." said Spencer

"I had the same thought, but the house doesn't fit the profile. It's too sloppy." said Hotch

"He is a single male." said Spencer

"But the plan to get to us was detailed and organized and nothing in this house says that." said Hotch

* * *

As Spencer and Hotch were heading back to the station, Spencer's cellphone vibrated and he saw a text message from Olivia.

DID HOTCH ARRANGE SECURITY DETAILS FOR YOUR PARENTS, AUNT ETHEL, AND YOUR TEAMMATES THAT HAVE FAMILY OUT OF STATE? ~ OR

Hotch looked at Spencer.

"Everything alright?" asked Hotch

"Livy was wondering if a security detail was given to my parents and aunt in Las Vegas. I know that having an agent posted outside of Bennington would be a bad idea since my mom's paranoia deals with the government and there are other patients at Bennington that have the same delusions as she does." said Spencer

Before Hotch could answer Spencer's question, Hotch's phone rang.

* * *

Spencer followed Hotch into the conference room where everyone else was sitting.

"I just talked to Strauss. She wants an update." said Hotch as he noticed how upset everyone looked "What happened?" asked Hotch

"Bidwell died en route to the hospital." said Morgan

"This guy did not profile as suicidal." said JJ

"It's bizarre. If he wanted payback, why would he kill himself?" asked Alex

"Maybe this is his version of payback. If he takes his own life, we can't put him in prison." said Spencer

"Like the ultimate escape plan." said Alex

"But his body language you should have seen it. When JJ mentioned the copycat murders, he had no idea what she was talking about." said Rossi

"Something went wrong and he called an audible." said Morgan

"So what made him change the plan?" asked Spencer

"Well, he did it after his phone call, so I'm guess that had something to do with it." said JJ

"That's a dead end. Local police traced the number to a prepaid cell phone. Garcia said it went dead right after Bidwell's call." said Morgan

"A partner?" asked Hotch

"Well, if he really didn't know about the other copycat murders, he wouldn't be somebody's partner, he would be their pawn." said Rossi

"So what if all the evidence in Bidwell's house was put there just so that we'd find it?" asked Spencer

"Jazz hands at the ready." said Garcia

"Garcia, I need you to go over all of Donnie Bidwell's phone records again. And any emails, social media, whatever you can find." said Hotch

"But why do I have to check it again? His emails were squeaky clean and he wasn't into social media." said Garcia

"The key is in the phone calls. They had to have communication somehow." said Alex

"OK, most of his cell phone conversations were to his ex-wife in New York. He called his mom in Tampa once a week. The rest are just random. He called local businesses, he checked movie times." said Garcia

"Come on, baby girl, it isn't random. The answer's in there somewhere. You just gotta find it." said Morgan

"All right, if you say so. I will re-get this party started. Hit you back." said Garcia before hanging up

"If the Replicator's still out there, then this whole thing's part of a much bigger manipulation." said Spencer

"I wonder what he's planning for an encore." said Rossi

* * *

Spencer was sitting on the table when Garcia called them back.

"Go ahead, Garcia." said Hotch

"I want to preface this by saying I did not break any rules by getting this info so fast. I may have scraped, scratched, massaged, but no breaks. Not a one." said Garcia

"Garcia." said Hotch

"OK. I checked the incoming phone records and there was a call that caught my eye, 'cause for the last 6 months, that call came in at the same time at the same day, except for once. It's from an unknown phone number, so I did what I do and I made the number known, and it was from a prepaid cell phone. Here's the kicker. Oh, get ready. It was paid for with the same stolen credit card used to buy JJ's flowers. What? Bam!" said Garcia

"Can you triangulate the number?" asked Spencer

"Why ask me that question? Triangulation is just about my favorite thing to do. That phone is in Pittsburgh." said Garcia

"That's a 5-hour drive." said Morgan

"Or about 45 minutes on the jet." said Hotch as everyone got up so they could head to Pittsburgh

* * *

"Yes, ma'am. SWAT is meeting us on the ground. All right, I will keep you posted. Thank you." said Hotch before hanging up

"Strauss isn't altogether comfortable with us going on this take-down, but I told her that Pittsburgh P. D. would take the lead." said Hotch as he thought about Strauss mentioning that she wasn't comfortable about him, JJ, and Spencer going in on the take down due to being parents

"You know, if the Replicator used Bidwell, then somehow he had to convince him to exsanguinate those women." said Rossi

"And cut off their eyelids." said Alex

"Bidwell was broken and vulnerable. He was ripe for a manipulation." said Morgan

"The Replicator must have counted on that. That's probably why he chose Bidwell in the first place." said Spencer

"Well, he must be one persuasive guy." said JJ

"Persuasive enough to turn Bidwell into a killer." said Hotch

* * *

Spencer was making sure that his Kevlar vest was secure as Sergeant Blutarsky briefed everyone on what was going on

"All right. The snipers are set and all the exits are covered." said Sergeant Blutarsky

"Air support?" asked Hotch

"Choppers are standing by." said Sergeant Blutarsky

"All right, the signal from the cell phone's coming from this room. We'll enter in two teams. You from this side, we'll come from this side, we'll meet in the middle." said Hotch as he showed his teammates the plan

"All right, guys, I need you to keep it tight and stay alert. This guy's got a vendetta against us. It could be an ambush." said Morgan

"All right, gents, on the move." said Sergeant Blutarsky

A few minutes later Spencer, JJ, and Morgan met up with the others in a room where a woman was on a mattress dead with bulletin boards around while music was playing and Hotch checked on the victim.

"She's gone." said Hotch

Spencer stood in shock when he saw photos of him from when he was on cases, when he and Olivia had date nights, outings with Olivia and Piper, him leaving doctor appointments with ZUGZWANG written on the board.

* * *

Spencer quietly entered the house and reset the alarm system before removing his jacket and plopping down onto the couch where he sat with his head in his hands, and he didn't know how long he was sitting there until he felt the couch dip a bit and a hand placed on his shoulder.

"When did you get home?" asked Olivia

Spencer finally let his head out of his hands and looked at the clock.

"A half hour ago, and I am not even sure if I can handle my picture being taken without my knowledge ever again." said Spencer

At that moment Olivia became alert.

"The Replicator took pictures of you?" asked Olivia

"During cases, pictures of me when we went on date nights, when we were at the park with Piper. And there were pictures of my teammates too." said Spencer

"Was Piper or me in any of the pictures?" asked Olivia

"No, but we are having a security detail posted outside our home for the unforeseeable future." said Spencer

"Despite having an up to date alarm system, I feel safer with you being in this house with me while having a security detail outside." said Olivia

"But for now we need to stay alert, and I am going to be pulling longer hours at the office since cases have been suspended because the Director wants the Replicator found." said Spencer as he let out a yawn

"We should head up to bed, and Piper's going to be excited to see you in a few hours." said Olivia

"I really want to check on Piper first." said Spencer

"And most likely she's going to want to sleep on top of you." said Olivia as she smirked at her husband

15 minutes later Spencer and Olivia were in bed with Piper sleeping on top of her daddy.


	30. The Gathering

_Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds_

 _A/N: Shout out to OhSnapItsMadison, tannerose5, snowdrop65, Mrs. JaganshiReidofHufflepuff, Hippichic81, and Chermayne for reviewing chapter 29._

 _This chapter takes place about three weeks after chapter 29 so Piper's now 9 months old and Olivia is 26 weeks pregnant (So we are getting pretty close to Albert's and Ava's arrival since I already have when and where Olivia will go into labor)._

* * *

Spencer was going through photos with his teammates and looked at a text message that Olivia sent a few hours ago as he thought about how he was seeing his teammates more than Olivia and Piper the past three weeks, causing some tension between he and Olivia.

ARE YOU COMING HOME BEFORE DINNER? ~ OR

"This doesn't make any sense. How in the hell did he get so much access?" asked Morgan

"Yeah, thank you." said Hotch before hanging up "Winslow, Arizona, P. D. Statewide system security check reports no breaches."

"They were the last. If the Replicator isn't hacking in, how is he learning details of these crimes?" asked Rossi

"Maybe it's a journalist. They're skilled at obtaining confidential information." said Alex

"But why not help out his career in the process? The media didn't know that Adam Rain was making human marionettes, but somehow the Replicator did." said Rossi

"He's been watching us for months. Maybe we were the only source he needed." said Hotch

"That would require him to be in two places at the same time. I've assembled a pretty accurate timetable of the unsub's stalking and murder activities, and based on the estimated time of death regarding our amputated replication, the unsub wasn't stalking us during the investigation of the Whitewood-Turner crimes in Miami because he was dumping his victim in New Mexico. Yet, he was still back in D. C. in time to see me hit my game-winning home run against the Secret Service." said Spencer as he held up the photo from the game, causing Morgan to smile

"Baby girl, this the best you got?" asked Morgan

"I'm blowing it up as much as I can. What about this? Look at the reflection in Blake's glasses. It's grainy, but it looks like some creep taking pictures." said Garcia as Morgan looked at the picture

"You know, we've got all of this and the best we can tell is this guy has a blue baseball cap." said Morgan

JJ entered the conference room with her cellphone glued to her ear.

"I know and I'm sorry. I promise I will be home before you guys wake up. Well, the sooner we get this guy, the sooner the security detail can go away. OK. Well, we're trying. I love you." said JJ before hanging up as Strauss entered the room

"Erin, what are you doing here so late?" asked Rossi

"I had a meeting with the Director." said Strauss

"I thought we were going to brief him in the morning." said Hotch

"You were. He canceled. You have no fresh leads. He wants the Replicator classified inactive." said Strauss

"All due respect, ma'am, but this guy's hardly inactive. He's planning his next move." said Morgan

"And when he makes that move, you'll be there to stop him. How many times have you told me that sometimes the best thing to do is wait, each crime teaches you something new? The Replicator is dormant. You're not learning anything new. All you're doing is working yourselves to death and ignoring the cases that need your attention." said Strauss as she looked at the tired faces of her agents

"Erin, he's stalking this team. No one's gonna give it up." said Hotch as he saw Spencer glance at a text message on his phone

"I know that. And neither will I. But the cases are piling up and they need to be cleared so the Director no longer thinks that his best unit is dropping the ball. So, go home. Start fresh tomorrow." said Strauss before leaving the room

"I hate to admit it, but she's right. I'm sure there's some other psychopath out there planning his next attack." said Rossi

"All right, go get some rest. Back in here by 8:00." said Hotch

At that moment JJ pulled out her phone.

"Will, change of plans." said JJ

At that moment Spencer got up and sent Olivia a text message.

ON MY WAY HOME NOW. ~ SR

* * *

Spencer entered the house and groaned when he saw a pillow, a blanket, and a pair of his pajamas on the couch with a note with an ultrasound photo.

SINCE YOU MISSED MY DOCTOR APPOINTMENT THIS MORNING DUE TO LEAVING THE HOUSE WITHOUT SAYING GOODBYE, YOU ARE SLEEPING ON THE COUCH TONIGHT. AND DON'T YOU DARE WAKE PIPER AND TAKE HER DOWNSTAIRS TO SLEEP WITH YOU.

At that moment Spencer grabbed his pajamas, headed to the first floor bathroom and took a quick shower before making up the bed on the couch to la down and fall asleep.

* * *

Spencer woke up to the alarm on his phone, got off the couch and stretched his tired muscles before heading over to the kennel where Einstein was sitting up and wagging his tail.

"Hey there, boy." said Spencer as he let Einstein out of his kennel so he could let him outside

A few minutes later Spencer was in the master bedroom and saw Olivia walking out of the bathroom.

"Slept on the couch?" asked Olivia as she watched her husband start getting dressed for the day as she thought about when was the last time they had mommy and daddy time

"Yeah, and I'm sorry that I missed your doctor appointment yesterday." said Spencer

"You couldn't even ask Hotch if you could come in late?" asked Olivia as she started to grab clothes for the day

"The Replicator is stalking my teammates and I, and I have been approached by our neighbors about the security detail parked outside our house since having a security detail parked there is scaring the neighbors a bit." said Spencer

"Do you have the day off or do you have to go in again?" asked Olivia

"I have to be in by 8 AM." sighed Spencer

At that moment Piper decided to alert her parents that she was awake by crying.

"Since you're dressed, how about you go deal with our daughter who has been missing you the past three weeks before you leave for work." said Olivia coldly before heading to the bathroom to get dressed

A few seconds later Spencer was in Piper's nursery and saw Piper standing up in her crib, grinning at him.

"Daddy." said Piper

"Good morning Piper." said Spencer as he scooped up his daughter, carried her to the changing table and started getting Piper out of her pajamas and into a clean diaper

"Miss ya Daddy." said Piper

"I missed you too. Daddy has been dealing with stressful things at work, but when the situation is over I will spend more time with you and your mommy." said Spencer as he started to get Piper dressed for the day before setting her on the floor where she was able to stand without any help "Let's go say hi to mommy." said Spencer as he held out his hand

Piper grabbed hold of her daddy's hand and with his help they headed towards her mommy and daddy's bedroom and Olivia smiled at the sight of her toddling daughter.

"Good morning Piper." said Olivia

"Mommy!" exclaimed Piper as she let go of her daddy's hand, toddled over to her mommy and with the help of her daddy she was in her mommy's arms

At that moment Piper's stomach growled.

"Well, let's get you some food." said Olivia

15 minutes later Spencer, Olivia, and Piper were eating their scrambled eggs and bacon, and Olivia looked at her husband who was watching Piper feed herself some scrambled eggs

"So what's up with the case you have been working on?" asked Olivia

"The case has been declared inactive since Strauss said that we have been working ourselves to death, there's no progress, and we have been neglecting our consults and actual cases." said Spencer

"So there's a possibility that you're flying to another state today?" asked Olivia

"Yeah, but I will let you know if I fly out." said Spencer

At that moment Olivia groaned when she felt two kicks.

"I can't believe that I am already 26 weeks pregnant." said Olivia

"Me too." said Spencer as he looked at the clock and saw that it was already 6:55 "I have to get going since I have to be at the office by 8 AM." said Spencer as he got up, placed his empty plate in the sink and walked over to Piper who had her plate now empty "Good job for cleaning off your plate Goober." said Spencer as he kissed his daughter's head

"Go bye bye daddy?" asked Piper

"Daddy has to go to work." said Spencer before looking at Olivia and Piper "I love you girls."

* * *

"Go ahead, Garcia." said Hotch as he sat down

"Yes, sir. OK. So, over the past couple of days, two woman have been found murdered with their tongues removed in St. Paul, Minnesota. The first is Patricia Morris. She was found at a local park by a couple of joggers. And then a few hours ago Nicole Francis, she was found in a parking lot of a local restaurant. Both women died from multiple stab wounds." said Garcia

"Had they been reported missing?" asked JJ

"No. In fact, local P. D. were the ones who initially informed the families." said Garcia

"The M. O. is specific. Anything on ViCAP?" asked Alex

"Nothing yet, but I'm still searching." said Garcia

"Well, he definitely wasn't trying to hide the bodies. They were left in very public places." said Morgan

"Either he wanted them found quickly or he's all about the act and not the clean-up." said Rossi

"Any witnesses?" asked Morgan

"Yeah, sort of. Nicole was last seen at the restaurant with her boyfriend John Butler. They had some sort of icky spat." said Garcia

"Then he's on the short list." said Rossi

"No, he isn't. He actually has a solid alibi. Eh, liquid. He was drinking at the bar all night. Right after he left, local P. D. picked him up for public intoxication and they're holding him, but it's just until he sobers up." said Garcia

"OK, it takes a lot of strength to rip out someone's tongue. It's one of the strongest muscles in the body." said JJ

"The M. E. is still trying to determine whether it was done ante- or postmortem." said Hotch

"According to Chinese mythology, one of the most dreadful punishments in the 18 levels of hell involves having one's tongue ripped out. It's considered to be one of the most horrific forms of torture." said Spencer

"It's also symbolic, used to punish liars and anti-regime activists." said Alex

"The very nature of the M. O. is overkill." said Rossi

"We can't rule out a personal vendetta." said Morgan

"These women may have had something on this unsub and he wanted to make sure that they didn't live to talk about it. Wheels up in 30." said Hotch

At that moment Spencer pulled out his cellphone and called Olivia, who answered on the first ring.

"Have a case?" asked Olivia

"Going to St. Paul, Minnesota." said Spencer

"Well my class is about to start, but you know the rules about staying safe." said Olivia

"I know Livy. I love you." said Spencer

"I love you too, and I will call you before putting Piper to bed." said Olivia before hanging up

* * *

"The preliminary toxicology report suggests neither woman was drugged." said Rossi as Hotch sat down next to him

"No sign of a struggle or that he used restraints." said JJ

"Both women suffered solid blows to the head. Probably how he subdued them." said Morgan

"Neither victim showed signs of sexual assault." said Alex

"Maybe he's impotent." said JJ

"Or sadistic. The stabbing could be what's getting him off." said Morgan

"I have looked into both of the victims. The only thing they have in common are the same zip code. They have different occupations, interests, hobbies." said Garcia

"Patricia was a Pilates instructor, and Nicole was a legal assistant. Both were low risk." said Alex

"He could just be picking them at random." said JJ

"If his primary motive is to kill, it explains why he didn't take either of his victims to a secondary location." said Spencer

"But what take such a huge risk? Both crime scenes have tons of foot traffic. Someone could have interrupted him." said Morgan

"Oh, boy. Local P. D. just discovered two bodies. Laurel Tyson, 25, and her brother Daryl, 28. They were both stabbed to death inside her house." said Garcia

"Attacking in the home hasn't been his M. O. Up until now they've all been very public places." said Spencer

"Two attacks on 3 victims in one night. This is the first time he's killed a male." said Rossi

"Is this turning into a spree?" asked JJ

"Garcia, were their tongues missing?" asked Hotch

"Uh, Laurel's was. Daryl's was still intact." said Garcia

"If this is a spree, why is he taking time to collect souvenirs?" asked Alex

"Garcia, expand your ViCAP search nationwide. The ritual of the tongue extraction seems to be what matters most to him." said Hotch

* * *

Spencer and Morgan got out of the SUV and were approached by Detective Boseman. They started walking towards the house as Spencer kept his hands deep in his jacket pocket to keep them warm.

"Detective Boseman. Thanks for coming out." said Detective Boseman

"Thanks for having us. I'm Dr. Reid. This is Agent Morgan." said Spencer

"Nice to meet you. According to neighbors, somebody noticed an open window early this morning and alerted authorities." said Detective Boseman as he led the two agents into the house

"Nothing violates one's sense of security more than being attacked in their own home." said Spencer

"Why didn't the alarm trigger when the window was opened?" asked Morgan

"That's a good question." said Detective Boseman

"Maybe he knew what he was doing." said Spencer as Morgan's phone rang

"Excuse me." said Morgan as he answered his phone "Hey, give it to me good, baby girl." said Morgan as he put his phone on speaker

"Unfortunately, all I have are daily coffee receipts and weekly Thai orders. Laurel didn't get out much. She worked from home as a telemarketer, spent a lot of time surfing the web. Her most recent splurge was a last-minute plane ticket for her brother." said Garcia

"Garcia, when did Laurel have the alarm installed?" asked Spencer

"Two weeks ago." said Garcia

Spencer crossed his arms as he talked.

"She lived here 3 years and didn't feel the urge to install an alarm until now." said Spencer

"Thanks, mama." said Morgan

"Mm-hmm." said Garcia before hanging up

"Maybe she flew him out here because she was scared." said Morgan

"Having her brother around would make her feel more protected." said Spencer

"And if Laurel was the target, then Daryl's presence would have come as a surprise to the unsub." said Morgan

"Making him a victim of circumstance." said Spencer

"The question is, how do you learn about 3 separate women that lived 3 completely different lives?" asked Morgan

* * *

Spencer was going through posts with Alex and Morgan when Rossi approached them.

"Anything?" asked Rossi

"Well, these women practically lived online. Their posts went up 5, 6 times an hour." said Morgan

Rossi picked up a piece of paper and started reading it.

"Brian used his own toilet for the first time today." read Rossi

"All right, cut her some slack. She's excited. Her son is potty-trained." said Alex as she exchanged glances with Spencer, knowing that he will have fun working on getting his children potty trailed

"Brian is her Cocker Spaniel." said Rossi as he showed Alex the paper and Morgan laughed as Spencer smirked

"Hmm. Check this out. At 1:14, Nicole posted a status update saying she's waiting for somebody to rescue her from a loveless relationship." said Morgan

"I assume she's referring to her and John." said Rossi

"On 1-8, Patricia tweeted, quote, "Saw one of the most beautiful oak trees in the park. I wish I could just take a nap under it like I did when I was a little girl." End quote." said Spencer

"On 2-18, Laurel posted on her personal blog about how much she likes pain. She describes it as, "the best foreplay." said Alex

"Then on 2-21, again Laurel posts, talking about a fantasy where someone climbs through the window and ravishes her with bondage." said Morgan

"That's exactly how the unsub entered her house- through the living room window." said Spencer as Rossi walked over to the bulletin board they were given

"Laurel was the only one with ligature marks. He knew she was into SM." said Rossi

"Technically, the unsub's the one that rescued Nicole from the argument she was having with her boyfriend. He was the one that whisked her away." said Spencer

"And the first victim, Patricia, was found in a local park under a tree." said Alex

"So these women unknowingly described their own murders." said Morgan

* * *

A short while later Detective Boseman was sitting with Hotch, Spencer, Alex, and Rossi.

"This guy targeted these women through their online activity?" asked Detective Boseman

"In the unsub's mind, their posts created a connection to him, which led to the initial stalking." said Spencer

"That tells us he's most likely socially awkward." said Alex

"And his online surveillance allowed him to build confidence over time." said Hotch

"It's likely these women don't know what the unsub looks like, making it possible for him to interact with them without revealing his true identity." said Spencer

"What his victims considered pure fantasy, the unsub interpreted as literal and open invitation." said Rossi

"That compulsion is specific to his psychopathology." said Alex

"If he's getting these readings on the web, his next inspiration could come from anywhere." said Hotch

* * *

"We're looking for a fit, aggressive, Caucasian male in his mid- to late 30s." said Morgan

"He's practicing what's called vicarious fantasy assimilation." said Hotch

"This refers to the cathartic release that comes when he turns someone else's thoughts or fantasies into reality." said Spencer

"He trolls the Internet and is selecting women with a strong online presence and who frequently post their fantasies with descriptive detail." said Morgan

"There are two levels to his M. O., the first being the enjoyment he gets from taking one of his victim's fantasies and turning it into a nightmare." said JJ

"Once he establishes his dominance by subverting that fantasy, then he moves on to step two, which is removing the tongue." said Hotch

"His M. O. is polymorphic. It's taken on different forms. However, his ritual never changes." said Rossi

"It's likely that there are other women he's already targeted, so be vigilant if there are any reports of suspicious behavior." said Alex

"Thank you." said Hotch

* * *

Spencer was sitting at a table playing checkers with Tyler Rodgers.

"My fingers tightened around her throat. I could feel her heartbeat pulsing under my fingertips." When did you write this?" asked Spencer as he moved a checker

"Sunday, December 15, 2012, 4:14 PM" said Tyler

"Did Kayla do something to upset you?" asked Spencer

"She ignored me. Again." said Tyler as he moved a checker piece

Spencer moved another piece before speaking again.

"And that made you want to kill her?" asked Spencer

Tyler laughed.

"You're funny." said Tyler as he moved a piece "Your move."

Spencer decided to get serious.

"Tyler, Kayla is dead. Someone took one of the stories you wrote and made it real." said Spencer

"Was there a lot of blood?" asked Tyler

"Your blog went into great detail about how you wanted to kill her. Now, I need to know, did you discuss this with anyone?" asked Spencer seriously

"With people on story swap, yeah." said Tyler

"So story swap allows you to download stories from other people. Are they all about murder?" asked Spencer

"Most of them. But, you know, there was something for everyone. Rape and torture..." said Tyler

"Thanks for your help." said Spencer as he got up and before he could walk away, Tyler grabbed his arm to stop him from leaving

"Do you have any pictures of, uh, Kayla's body?" asked Tyler

Spencer decided to walk away.

"Just wondered. I just want to see what he did to her." said Tyler

A few minutes later Alex and Rossi met Spencer downstairs.

"Was Tyler able to give you anything?" asked Alex

"So it turns out he was part of an online community that exchanged psychopathic stories while remaining anonymous." said Spencer

"It's probably where the unsub learned about Kayla, from Tyler's posts." said Rossi

"Which explains the switch in M. O. Tyler was fixated on strangulation." said Alex

"So, where's the unsub gonna get his material for his next kill?" asked Rossi

"All the victims used different platforms. Writing seems to be the only common denominator." said Alex

"Guys, what if he created his own writing group? Dr. Houston's spoken all over the country. He could have attended a conference or read about his form of therapy." said Spencer

"And adapted it to fit his needs." said Alex

"Instead of working the steps, he's focused on one thing- acting out homicidal stories." said Rossi

* * *

Spencer was standing by JJ next to the gurney that contained Mark's body as Morgan talked on the phone with Hotch.

"Well, we got guys canvassing the area for witnesses, but whoever did this to Mark didn't hold back." said Morgan

"That had to be personal. No one walks around carrying that type of rage." said JJ

"This kill doesn't show the same level of confidence that Mark showed with his previous victims." said Spencer

"Mark could be his first kill. It most likely won't be his last." said Spencer

* * *

Spencer, JJ, and Morgan followed S.W.A.T. agents towards the room that held the swimming pool.

"Peter Harper, FBI! Don't move!" shouted Morgan

"Drop the knife, Peter!" ordered Spencer

"I can't." said Peter

At that moment Morgan started removing his jacket.

"I'm going in." said Morgan as he dived into the pool to save Tammy

"Mark was a liar and a thief and I made him pay." said Peter as he held his knife to his throat

A minute later Morgan resurfaced with Tammy.

"Peter, I know he betrayed your trust. Just put the knife down and we can talk about this." said JJ

"You don't know what it's like- the thoughts and the images that won't go away. This is my only option." said Peter as Morgan started doing CPR on Tammy

At that moment Spencer decided to formulate the perfect lie while thinking about the time he was lured to the football field by Harper Hillman.

"Peter, that's not true. Listen, I know exactly what it's like. Right now is the part where I'm supposed to lie to you, tell you that everything's gonna be OK and that we can somehow help you, but the fact of the matter is, Peter, I don't know if we can. There might not be any form of therapy that ever takes these urges away." said Spencer

"Spence, what are you doing?" asked JJ

"But that doesn't mean you stop trying. Peter, no matter what happens, you have to keep trying. I know it's not what you want to hear, but at least it's the truth." said Spencer

A few seconds later Peter looked at Spencer.

"I appreciate your honesty." said Peter before slicing his throat and falling into the pool

At that moment Spencer felt a migraine brewing, causing him to walk away as he pinched the bridge of his nose.

* * *

A few hours later Spencer rubbed his temples as he felt the migraine he has been dealing with since Peter Harper's suicide intensify, and at that moment he decided that it was time to go home so he could go to bed and sleep off his migraine when Hotch approached him as he started packing to go home.

"Reid. I just finished the case file. I talked to Morgan and JJ and I wanted to talk to you about what happened." said Hotch

"The hostage was clear and I made a tactical decision to tell the unsub the truth about his condition." said Spencer

"And what did you think that would accomplish?" asked Hotch

"I tried to tell a perfect lie and that didn't work." said Spencer as he felt his migraine intensify even more

"And this didn't work." said Hotch

"Sadly, no." said Spencer

"Like I told you after the Owen Savage case, you won't be able to talk down every unsub when trying to talk them down." said Hotch

"I know." said Spencer as his pinched the bridge of his nose when his vision began to double

Hotch noticed the familiar gesture that Spencer used to do to indicate that he had a migraine, causing him to instantly become alert.

"Are you currently dealing with a migraine?" asked Hotch as he made his way over to Spencer who was starting to sway on his feet

Before Spencer could answer he started to collapse as his vision went black.

"Reid." shouted Hotch as Reid quickly fell into his arms before he could fall onto the floor

* * *

 _A/N:_ _I know that I ended this chapter with a cliff hanger, but I hope that the changes I made between the ending with Hotch and Reid did some justice since I didn't do the Maeve storyline._


	31. Restoration

Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds

 _A/N: Shout out to OhSnapItsMadison, Hippichic81, snowdrop65, and Mrs. JaganshiReidofHufflepuff for reviewing chapter 30._

 _I decided that I would combine the aftermath of Spencer collapsing in the bullpen with the chapter that deals with Restoration._

* * *

Spencer slowly opened his eyes and realized that he was in a dimmed room laying in a hospital bed, and even though his vision was blurry he was able to see that Hotch was sitting in a nearby chair.

"Hotch?" croaked Spencer as he tried to grab his glasses on the nearby table

At that moment Hotch decided to help Spencer settle his glasses on the bridge of his nose before helping him take a sip of water.

When Spencer felt a good amount of moisture in his mouth he spoke.

"What happened?" asked Spencer

"You had a migraine that caused you to collapse in the bullpen. One of the agents who saw you collapse called 911 and I rode in the ambulance with you." said Hotch quietly

"How long have I been out?" asked Spencer

"Over an hour, and the attending doctor wants to keep you here overnight for observation due to your past history with migraines. Olivia's on her way, and I asked David to drive her." said Hotch

Spencer nodded before looking at the IV that was inserted into his hand and took a look at the bags on the IV stand that was near him and sighed in relief when he saw that he was being given ibuprofen for his migraine that was beginning to dull.

"Why didn't you tell me that you and Olivia are dealing with some tension when it comes to you staying late at the office the past few weeks?" asked Hotch

"I guess you talked to her?" asked Spencer

"Yes, and no one would have held it against you if you decided to leave at 5 PM to eat dinner with Olivia and Piper and go to bed at a decent hour instead of staying late at the office like me and everyone else." said Hotch

"I know, and I feel stupid for putting work first instead of my health and family since I wanted the Replicator found. After Strauss sent us home, I came home to find a pillow and blanket on the couch with a note from Olivia saying that she was angry at me for missing her ultrasound since I was in town so I had to sleep on the couch. And I know that it was because of her pregnancy hormones she was angry at me." said Spencer

"If you told me that Olivia had a doctor appointment, I would have told you to take some time off so you could attend." said Hotch before continuing "I want you to take a week off to catch up on sleep and spend time with Olivia and Piper to make it up to them for putting work first."

"OK." said Spencer

At that moment Olivia and Rossi came into the room, and Olivia made a beeline for her husband and slapped him on the shoulder as Hotch and Rossi smirked.

"That's for scaring me when Aaron called and told me that you ended up in the hospital." said Olivia as she pecked her husband on the cheek

"I'm sorry Livy." said Spencer at he patted on the bed with his IV free hand "Please join me love."

"Are you sure?" asked Olivia

"Your touch helps my migraines go away, and you're exhausted yourself." said Spencer

Hotch and Rossi exchanged glances before Hotch looked at Olivia.

"May I talk to you outside before you join your husband?" asked Hotch

"Sure." said Olivia as she thought about the story that Rossi told her about his Uncle Sal and Rossi asking her if he could talk to Spencer first before she tends to her husband

Hotch and Olivia left the room, and after the door was shut Rossi sat down by Spencer.

"Did I ever tell you about my Uncle Sal?" asked Rossi

Spencer shook his head no.

"He liked to fix up old cars. When my Aunt Rosie died, he bought a 1947 Buick. Well, it was a piece of junk, really, but he was obsessed with it. He'd work on it day and night, forgetting to eat, until it was a thing of beauty. Then one day, it got stolen. When the cops found it, it had been completely vandalized. Uncle Sal was devastated. Never recovered. He died about a year later." said Rossi

"I'm sorry about your Uncle." said Spencer before continuing "Why did you tell me about your Uncle Sal?"

"You have been neglecting your health, and we both have a thing for driving old cars." said Rossi

Spencer chuckled at the last part.

"Plus Olivia, Piper, and your unborn son and daughter are some of the best things that have happened to you over the past few years, and I don't want to see your marriage fail like my own marriages with Carolyn and eventually Hayden due to putting work first." said Rossi

At that moment a nurse and Olivia came into the room and checked on Spencer's vitals before looking at Spencer, Rossi, and Olivia.

"Visiting hours are over, and you can stay with your husband Mrs. Reid." said Nurse Taylor before looking at Spencer "Your wife can join you in bed so she can be more comfortable, and at 7 AM you're going down for a precautionary MRI since the attending doctor saw the past MRIs in your medical file."

"Let me help you Olivia." said Rossi

A minute later Olivia was in bed with her husband, and Nurse Taylor looked at Olivia as she tried to make herself comfortable as Rossi left the room.

"You look like you're going to give birth any day now." said Nurse Taylor

Olivia burst out laughing as tears streamed down her face.

"I'm 26 weeks pregnant with twins, and we have a nine month old daughter who is with a sitter right now." said Olivia

A few minutes later Nurse Taylor left the room and Olivia looked at her husband.

"When you missed my doctor appointment the other day, you didn't get to hear Dr. Carter order me to start maternity leave and stop driving when I reach 28 weeks pregnant." said Olivia

"I'm really sorry Livy, and during the next week I'm going to make it up to you." said Spencer

"And to start making it up for me you can do most of the cooking, cleaning, help with grocery shopping, and be on Piper duty while you're on leave." said Olivia

"Deal." said Spencer before falling asleep from the exhaustion he was dealing with, causing Olivia to remove her husband's glasses and place them on the bedside table before falling asleep herself

* * *

A week and a half later Spencer was reading to Piper as his cellphone rang. He quickly grabbed it and checked the caller ID.

"Is there a case Hotch?" asked Spencer

"Yes, and I am wondering if you want a ride so you don't have to drive." said Hotch

"A ride would be great." said Spencer as he made eye contact with Olivia and nodded at her, telling her he has a case

"I will be there in 10 minutes." said Hotch before hanging up

Spencer looked at Piper.

"Daddy has to go to work for a few days." said Spencer as he closed the book and stood up with Piper in his arms

At that moment Piper's lip started quivering as her daddy carried her over to her mommy.

"I will continue reading to you sweet pea." said Olivia as she took Piper from Spencer who passed her the book before rushing upstairs to get his gun out of the gun safe and grab his go bag before kissing his girls and heading outside where Hotch was waiting for him

A few minutes later Spencer got into Hotch's car and they started heading to Quantico.

* * *

As Morgan and Rossi entered the conference room, Garcia started briefing.

"Two men have been killed on the south-side of Chicago in the last 10 days. The first is Michael Crowley. He was a repairman who was out jogging pretty late at night. Second, Anthony Rango. He was a convenience store owner." said Garcia

"No known connection between them." said Hotch

"Both men were beaten to death with fists of fury. Rango suffered a crushed larynx and something called a lefort fracture?" asked Garcia

"It's a bilateral horizontal facial injury." clarified Spencer

"Looks like there was also blunt force trauma to the back of the head." said Morgan

"So they were blitz attacked to gain control, then it was essentially fisticuffs." said Spencer

"And they were both literally caught with their pants down. Like their jeans and their boxers both down to their ankles." said Garcia

"But there's no sign of sexual assault or robbery." said Alex

"So it was a message." said Rossi

"Either they led secret lives or someone wanted to symbolically demean or embarrass them." said Hotch

"You can't really tell if it was done pre- or postmortem." said Morgan

"Aren't these your old stomping grounds? We should go say hey to your family." said JJ causing Spencer to nod in agreement

"Yeah, I'm not gonna let anybody know I'm in town. At least not until we're done with this. I don't need any distractions." said Morgan

"With this level of hands-on violence, this unsub is filled with rage. And he's probably just getting started. Wheels up in 30." said Hotch

At that moment Spencer pulled out his cellphone and called Olivia as he headed to his desk.

"Know where you are going yet?" asked Olivia as she closed the door of Piper's nursery

"I'm going to Chicago." said Spencer

"I could go for some of Fran's peach cobbler, even though we were given the recipe." said Olivia as she rubbed her belly

Spencer laughed.

"I will ask him." said Spencer

"I just put Piper down for a nap, and I am going to take one myself." said Olivia

"I will call you when I get to Chicago." said Spencer

"Please stay safe." said Olivia

"I promise." said Spencer

"Love you." said Olivia

"Love you too." said Spencer before hanging up before looking at Morgan "Livy is craving your mom's peach cobbler."

"I will let mom know." laughed Morgan

* * *

"All right, let's go over victimology." said Hotch as he walked over to his teammates with a cup of coffee "Both of these men were medium-risk victims."

"They were average Joes making a living in a below average area." said Rossi

"The first victim, Crowley, was a telephone repairman who'd lived in the neighborhood for years." said Alex

"Victim two, Rango, owned a convenience store for about twice as long, and he had pretty much the same routine every single day." said Spencer as he sat on the ledge across from where Rossi, JJ, Hotch, and Alex were sitting

"So each had a pattern." said Rossi

"It looks that way. They both had regular work hours." said JJ

"Crowley's wife said he varied his workout route. This was the first time that he ran this way." said Morgan

"He seems more like a victim of opportunity, while the store owner's death seems planned." said Hotch

"The pants pulled down means the unsub's message is personal." said Alex

"You know, 98% of the area is black, but the two victims he attacked were white men who'd lived in the neighborhood for years. Maybe he wanted to shame them in some way." said Spencer

"This doesn't look like a hate crime. Removing the pants is sexual, it's not racial." said Morgan

"Garcia, did you get any information about the sexuality of the victims?" asked Hotch

"As far as I can tell, Rango was straight. He was married 30 years, two grown kids. No Internet or credit card history suggests otherwise." said Garcia

"And what about the jogger?" asked Morgan

"If he was living on the DL, I can't find the D or the L." said Garcia

"Somehow the unsub linked the two." said Rossi

Hotch looked at Morgan.

"Morgan, you know the neighborhood. You and Blake go to the Mini-mart. The rest of us will go to the P. D." said Hotch

* * *

Spencer and Hotch entered the police department and approached Captain Gordinski.

"Detective Gordinski." said Hotch

"Captain, actually. I was promoted two years ago." said Captain Gordinski as he shook hands with Hotch

"You remember Dr. Reid." said Hotch

Captain Gordinski looked at Spencer.

"Ah, what's it been, 6, 7 years?" asked Captain Gordinski as he held out his hand for Spencer to shake.

"The number of pathogens passed during a handshake is staggering. It's actually safer to kiss." said Spencer as Hotch shook his head

"Ah, yeah, I do remember you." said Captain Gordinski

"Any developments in the investigation?" asked Hotch

"While you were in the air, another body dropped outside a local diner on Halstead. Guy's pants were pulled down, he was beaten to a pulp." said Captain Gordinski

Hotch looked at Spencer.

"We had some team members headed to the morgue. We'll redirect them to the diner instead." said Hotch as he pulled out his phone and walked away as Captain Gordinski led Spencer to the room he set up for he and his teammates to use.

"This is where you guys can work." said Captain Gordinski

"Thanks." said Spencer as he removed his messenger bag from his shoulders before removing his navy blue pea coat

As Spencer draped his jacket over a chair, Captain Gordinski noticed his wedding band.

"When did you get married?" asked Captain Gordinski

"Got married on September 24th of 2011." said Spencer

"Any kids yet?" asked Captain Gordinski

Spencer gave Captain Gordinski a grin as he pulled out his phone and opened up the photo he had taken of Olivia and Piper together.

"That's my wife Olivia and the baby girl standing by her is my nine month old daughter Piper." said Spencer

"Your daughter is beautiful, and your wife looks like she's going to be giving birth any day now." said Captain Gordinski

Spencer laughed before speaking up.

"Actually my wife is 28 weeks pregnant with twins, but if she was going to be giving birth any day now I would have already started paternity leave so I don't miss the birth of my first son and second daughter." said Spencer as he pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose

* * *

"The M. E. found glass shards from a Helgeson Vineyards wine bottle in the back of victim number 3's skull." said Spencer as he told his teammates about his trip to the M. E.

"I know what this is about." said Morgan before taking a breath since Hotch, JJ, and Spencer knew about what happened to him "This is about Carl Buford."

"What do you mean? Buford's in prison for life." said Hotch

"The words "Look up to the sky" were found in both the Mini-mart and the alley. It's what Buford used to say to me. Carl Buford was an expert... At spotting and exploiting vulnerabilities in adolescent boys that he coached at the community center. Had the entire community thinking he was a hero. Parents, teachers...cops. I mean everyone. After my dad died, he locked onto me. And he manipulated me into compliant victimization. Now, you remember how I told you that I got into it with that local gang-banger when I was younger. Well, somehow Buford got it all expunged. Now, I didn't understand why a guy who barely knew me would do that. Buford gave me his time. He taught me how to play football. And then he took me to his cabin on the lake. I was a kid. I was a kid from the South-side. I'd never been to a cabin, much less a lake." said Morgan

"Morgan, you don't have to do this." said Hotch

"They need to know, Hotch. They need to know this guy's M. O. Buford built up my trust. And then he would lower my inhibition with Helgeson wine. He called it his Jesus juice. Then he would molest me. And every time he would see that dead look in my eyes that said I wanted him to stop... He would just say, "You better man up, boy." "Look up to the sky." said Morgan

"Did you ever tell anyone about that phrase?" asked JJ

"No." said Morgan

"We're probably looking at someone who Buford abused." said Rossi

"The victim could harbor a great deal of anger if he didn't deal with his own abuse. And with the right trigger, it could develop into this kind of rage." said Hotch

"Where's Buford now?" asked Alex

"We got him locked up for homicide in 2006, but because of the statute of limitations, we never got him for molestation." said Morgan

"Buford ran the community center for years. An offender like him could have hundreds of victims." said Spencer

"All right, let's talk about victimology." said Hotch as Captain Gordinski left the room "Each of these men had had interactions with kids right before they were killed." said Hotch

"The killer switched from white victims to African-Americans." said Rossi

"You'd think that if they were surrogates for Buford, he'd kill only black men." said Hotch as he dialed Garcia's number

"Hello?" asked Garcia

"Garcia, I need you to compile a list of all of the boys who played football at the community center 20-30 years ago." said Hotch

"OK." said Garcia as she started typing

* * *

"The man that we're looking for is an African-American male in his late 30s to early 40s, and he's from this area. He most likely attended the local community center as a youth." started Morgan

"He's athletic and he's powerful, which explains his ability to overcome his victims with aggression." said Hotch

"His perfect timing and selection say his intelligence level is high, and his victim selection shows us his murders are not planned in advance." said Alex

"He may have a drinking problem, which makes him more unpredictable and exacerbates his anger. The fact that he doesn't steal from his victims shows us that he's mission oriented." said Rossi

"This says that the substance abuse is a coping mechanism, for the fact that he never adequately dealt with his own victimization." said Morgan

"By exposing his victims and scrawling the phrase Buford used during his sexual assaults at the crime scenes, he's telling the world that he sees the victims as child molesters, which is his justification for killing them." said Alex

"This is an example of projection and polarization, a black-and-white thinking which when coupled with impulsivity, anger, and outbursts of violence indicates that this unsub's most likely suffering from an extreme case of borderline personality disorder." said Spencer

"BPD is one of the most common mental disorders suffered by adults who were victimized as children." said JJ

"This represents the borderline between anxiety and psychosis. We believe this unsub's perspective has become so warped that he's likely experiencing stress-related paranoid ideation, most likely brought on by a recent traumatic event that triggered that rage." said Spencer

"He's killing men just after they innocently interact with children. So step up patrols in parks, schools, ball fields, even family events. But do not try to confront this man alone. We believe that he is armed and extremely dangerous. Thank you." said Morgan

* * *

Mrs. Walters was leading Spencer and JJ to the room where the records were held.

"Derek Morgan just called to give me a heads-up. The records are in the back." said Mrs. Walters

"Thanks." said Spencer

"You know, community centers are supposed to bring people together, but this one has torn enough people apart. I'll be up front, if you need anything." said Mrs. Walters as she showed Spencer and JJ the room before heading up front

"Thank you." said JJ as Spencer set his messenger bag down before they started going through files

As Spencer and JJ were going through files, they talked about Piper and Henry and after going through a significant amount JJ decided that they needed to get back to business.

"All right, Dr. Genius, do you notice anything I'm not seeing?" asked JJ

"Between travel receipts, letters of recommendation, and expense reports, I've compiled a list of several names, but it's obvious there are gaps in the records." said Spencer

"Do you think Buford destroyed some files before he went to prison?" asked JJ

"Given the opportunity, most people in his situation would have. We should probably call the team with this." said Spencer as he pulled out his phone and called Hotch

* * *

As Morgan and JJ walked away, Hotch looked at Spencer.

"Why don't you take some time to call Olivia and check on her and Piper." said Hotch

"I'm already planning on it since I know that she's bored right now." said Spencer

"She's not happy about having to start maternity leave this week?" asked Alex

"Not at all, and her hormones have gotten worse over the weekend." said Spencer as both Hotch and Rossi slightly smirked since they have been in Spencer's footsteps before

"Call her." said Rossi

Spencer pulled out his cellphone and dialed Olivia's number.

"I was just about to call you." said Olivia

"Bored?" asked Spencer

"Albert and Ava have been kicking away for the past 10 minutes, and Piper's currently taking a nap right now and I am longing for adult conversation since there's nothing good on TV right now and I have seen every movie in our collection of DVDs." said Olivia

"When I get home we can get a sitter for Piper and we can go to the movies." said Spencer

"I could go for some popcorn and we are out of it." said Olivia as she rubbed her belly

"Why don't you call Maeve and see if she wants to hang out?" asked Spencer

"Great idea. Piper can play with Andrea while Maeve and I watch chick flicks and eat popcorn." said Olivia

"Well I have to get going, and I will call you later if I have some time." said Spencer

"Stay safe and I love you." said Olivia

"Love you too." said Spencer before hanging up

* * *

Spencer approached Hotch and Captain Gordinski as they entered the room.

"I cross-referenced the list of special kids from the center with the list of victims Morgan got from Buford. I've come up with a half a dozen names of people who fit the profile and the physicality to be suspects." said Spencer

"Did you get that list to Garcia?" asked Hotch

"She's pulling their histories right now." said Spencer as Morgan called Garcia

"Yeah, baby girl, how's that list coming along?" asked Morgan

"OK. Of the 5 that fit the profile, one sticks out like a tiger in a room of kittens." said Garcia

"What name's that?" asked Hotch

"Keron Bender. He's a former linebacker. He was on Buford's community center team. He's a few years older than Derek. He's come upon hard times. By that I mean he has 3 arrests for domestic violence, two for meth possession and aggravated assault, and he lives smack in the middle of the kill zone." said Garcia

"Send that address right now." said Morgan

* * *

Spencer looked up from his book in his seat across from Hotch as he watched Morgan put something in the fridge.

"What is that, Morgan?" asked Spencer

"It's my mom's peach cobbler since she started making it when I told her that both Garcia and your wife are craving it." said Morgan

"Whoo. Garcia and Olivia are both gonna be two happy women." said JJ

"You didn't save us any?" asked Alex

"Oh, come on, there's enough for everybody. We'll heat it up when we get back." said Morgan as he watched Spencer quickly send Olivia a text message

"Derek. You did a great thing back there." said Rossi

"I appreciate all of you for having my back." said Morgan as his cellphone rang and he quickly answered it "Yeah, this is Derek Morgan. When? All right. Thanks for the call." said Morgan before hanging up

"What happened?" Hotch

"Carl Buford is dead." said Morgan

* * *

Spencer grinned when he saw Olivia standing in the conference room with Garcia who was holding a babbling Piper.

"How did you two get here when you're under doctors orders about not being allowed to drive?" asked Spencer as he pecked Olivia on the lips

Piper's eyes went wide when she realized that her daddy came home.

"Daddy!" exclaimed Piper as she squirmed in Garcia's arms since she wanted to be held by her daddy

"I asked Anderson to pick them up and bring them here since I needed to deal with some pure cuteness while making sure that Olivia gets some of the peach cobbler." said Garcia as she passed Piper over to her daddy before taking the peach cobbler out of Morgan's hands

"I missed you Piper." said Spencer as he hugged Piper and kissed her on the cheek before walking over to Morgan who was motioning him to bring Piper over "Piper how about you let Uncle Derek hold you."

"No." said Piper as she rested her head on her daddy's shoulder

"Uncle Derek needs you to cheer him up." said Spencer as he passed Piper over to Morgan

"Hey there pretty girl." said Morgan as he bounced Piper a bit

At that moment Piper used her mind to figure out how she could end up in either her daddy's arms or her Uncle Aaron's arms.

"Did I just see the wheels turning in my goddaughter's brain?" asked JJ as she noticed the faces that Piper was making that mirrored her daddy's when he's thinking "Spence, she's making the same thinking face as you do."

Everyone turned their attention to Piper and they laughed when they realized that JJ was right.

"Aww." cooed Garcia

At that moment Piper started making grunting noises and some faces like she would when she's trying to do a number two and Spencer looked at Olivia as he recognized the faces that Piper makes when she fills her diaper.

"When was the last time Piper did a number two?" asked Spencer as he grabbed a mat from Piper's diaper bag, a clean diaper and some wipes before extracting Piper from Morgan's arms

"She had a stinky diaper before Anderson picked us up." said Olivia as she watched her husband quickly undress Piper before removing her diaper and burst out laughing when she saw that the diaper was clean and dry

"What's so funny?" asked Morgan as he saw the amused looks on Spencer's and Olivia's faces as they made eye contact

"It seems like Piper figured out a way to avoid being held by you." said Olivia as she wiped a few tears off her face while everyone else burst out laughing at Piper's antics and Spencer quickly put a clean diaper on Piper before putting her back into her outfit and cleaning his hands with hand sanitizer

"I'm already being outsmarted by a nine month old who is showing signs of being a genius like her father." muttered Morgan as Piper started blowing raspberries at him, causing everyone to laugh


	32. Pay It Forward

Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds

 _A/N: Shout out to snowdrop65, OhSnapItsMadison, Hippichic81, and Mrs. JaganshiReidofHufflepuff for reviewing chapter 31._

 _I'm sorry about this chapter being a bit on the shorter side, but I promise that the next chapter will be a bit more exciting since Spencer's friend Ethan from Jones will be making an appearance. Plus the births of Albert and Ava are coming pretty soon, and I already have planned when and where Olivia will go into labor._

* * *

Spencer was helping Morgan with one of his properties when Morgan looked at him as they were taking a water break.

"I have been thinking about asking one of my new neighbors out, and I need your advice." said Morgan

"You're asking me for advice?" asked Spencer with a smirk on his face

"With me turning 40 in a few months, I realized that I need to start thinking about settling down. You make settling down look good since you're married and already a father despite being eight years younger than me." said Morgan

"What's your neighbor's name?" asked Spencer

"Don't know yet." said Morgan

"If you think that this girl is the one, you should let her approach you first and see where things go from there after your first conversation." said Spencer

"Just like Olivia did?" asked Morgan

"Yes." said Spencer

Morgan looked at Spencer.

"Are you excited about your dad moving in next month?" asked Morgan

"I am, and I'm glad that he wants to spend his retirement helping Olivia and I raise his grandchildren." said Spencer

"So which room is going to be remodeled into a personalized bedroom for him?" asked Morgan

"When I talked to my dad after sending him the video of Piper taking her first steps, he asked Olivia and I if it would be OK if the finished basement gets turned into a little apartment for him since there's a bathroom down there and he wants Olivia and I to have privacy when I'm not on a case." said Spencer

"Not a bad idea. So he is shipping everything to your house instead of donating?" asked Morgan

"He is shipping everything out here so I will need help putting his bed and furniture together, and he's going to drive his car all the way here from Las Vegas so he doesn't need to buy a new one." said Spencer

"I will help you with putting his furniture together." said Morgan

"Plus he's going to stay in one of the two guest bedrooms when I am on a case so he can help Livy with his grandchildren." said Spencer as his stomach growled

"Well, let's clean up before going over to your house since Olivia invited me over for dinner today." said Morgan

"You just can't stay away from Olivia's cooking." teased Spencer

* * *

Spencer was sitting with his teammates around the conference room table when Garcia showed them a video.

"Two days ago, the head that once belonged to 23-year-old Wade Burke rolled out of a time capsule in Bronson Springs, Colorado. And I know, I know, this is hardly news. The video we are now watching has already had 1.3 million views online." said Garcia as she showed her teammates the video

"We're being called in on a cold case?" asked JJ

"Uh, sadly, no. Because as of two hours ago, the decapitation menu in Bronson Springs has expanded to include both cold and hot selections. It is hard to tell from this photo, thank you friendly universe, uh, but the latest victim also does not have a head attached to him." said Garcia

"Has he been identified?" asked Rossi

"62-year-old Charlie Figg. He's a retired deputy from Bronson Springs." answered Hotch

"His body was found next to his vehicle on a remote road 30 miles east of town." said Garcia

"That's a lot of years in-between. Is there any connection between the victims?" asked Morgan

"Nothing that jumps out. Wade Burke was a clean-cut, honor student type. He graduated from college in 1988, went to work at the family's carpet business. Charlie Figg was already on the job working as a deputy, doesn't seem like their paths crossed." said Garcia

"And Wade Burke's body was never found." said Hotch

"Well, is it realistic to think this could be the same killer? 25-year dormancy period is highly unusual." said Alex

"But not unheard of. A number of serial killers have had long intervals of time between kills. BTK, Jeffrey Dahmer, the Keystone Killer. Jack the Ripper and the Zodiac Killer appeared to have even stopped completely." said Spencer

"Then again, there might be other victims we don't know about." said Rossi

"I don't know. My gut says copycat. I mean, like Garcia said, this time capsule thing's been all over the news, and that video what was it? 1.3 million hits?" asked Morgan

"Derek's right. That's exactly the kind of high-profile notoriety that could inspire an imitator." said Rossi

"Whether it's one UnSub or ten, Bronson Springs is getting a lot of attention." said JJ

"And if the killer is feeding off the publicity, it'll only encourage him to strike again. Wheels up in 30." said Hotch

At that moment Spencer pulled out his cellphone as he headed to his desk and called Olivia.

"Have a case?" asked Olivia

"Bronson Springs, Colorado." said Spencer

"Where that time capsule opening happened?" asked Olivia as she thought about the article that she read in the newspaper

"Yes." said Spencer

"Well since Piper's currently taking a nap I was eating ice cream out of the container when you called, and I will let you catch that plane. So please stay safe." said Olivia

"I promise and when I come home I will run to the grocery store and pick up more ice cream for you." said Spencer

"Mint chocolate chip please, and I love you." said Olivia  
"Got it. I love you, Piper, and our unborn son and daughter." said Spencer before hanging up and JJ looked at him

"Olivia's eating ice cream right now?" asked JJ

"Straight from the container." said Spencer

"I remember those days with Henry. So what flavor is she craving this time?" asked JJ

"Mint chocolate chip." said Spencer

* * *

"The removing of heads has an interesting history. In medieval times, it was considered an honorable way to be executed, reserved for noblemen and knights." said Spencer

"Lucky them." said JJ

"That's not what killed our latest victim, though. Charlie Figg died from a single gunshot wound to the chest. The head was removed postmortem." said Morgan

"Garcia, is this the entire case file from Wade Burke's 1988 disappearance?" asked Hotch

"That is not a Garcia Glitch, sir. You're looking at all one page of it." said Garcia

"Well, not much of an investigation." said Alex

"Apparently, there was no suspicion of foul play back then." said Garcia

"Well, given what we know now, will you look a little more closely into Burke's background?" asked Hotch

"Yeah, already started working on it." said Garcia

"Thank you." said Hotch

"Bye." said Garcia before the screen went blank

"Wouldn't hurt to look harder into Charlie Figg's history, either. Potential murderers aren't jumping off the page." said Alex

"A second set of tire tracks were found off the side of the road where Charlie Figg was killed, but they weren't able to pull a tread pattern." said Spencer

"He could have fallen for a ruse." said JJ

"Charlie Figg's crime scene was right out in the open. It's messy business, removing a head. Time-consuming." said Rossi

"The trophy's obviously crucial to the UnSub." said Morgan

"All right, Morgan, you and JJ go talk to Wade Burke's mother. Reid, you and Dave talk to the former mayor. See who had access to the 1988 time capsule. And Blake and I will go see what we can find out about Charlie Figg." said Hotch

"And so, the guessing game begins. From what nook or cranny will our new missing head roll out?" asked Rossi as he tossed the file onto the table in front of him

JJ looked at Spencer.

"When you mentioned knights and noblemen were you thinking about the books your mom read you?" asked JJ

"Yes." said Spencer

"Is she going to be flying out to DC after the twins are born?" asked JJ

"She's planning on it so she doesn't have to wait a few months to meet her new grandson and granddaughter." said Spencer

* * *

"Here's the list of names you asked about." said Sam as he was leading the two agents to a conference room where Wanda was waiting for them

"These are the 20 people who put a bag in the capsule?" asked Rossi

"Yes, sir. Don't think you're going to find any killers on that list of yours. Grade-school kids, local businessmen, PTA types." said Sam

"The name we need is whoever put the twenty-first bag in the capsule." said Rossi while he looked at the list as he, Sam, and Spencer stopped at a display case

"Well, this is... this is where we did it, right in here. Bags went in, capsule got sealed. Next morning, took it outside and buried it." said Sam

"Forensics found the seal had been cut and then carefully resealed." said Spencer

"The UnSub must have broken into the courthouse the night before, cracked open the seal, and put in the head." said Rossi

"Why wasn't the capsule guarded?" asked Spencer as they walked

"Oh, it was a different world then, son. Back then, folks in Bronson Springs didn't lock their doors. Kids rode their bikes after dark. Didn't occur to anybody the damn thing needed guarding." said Sam as he, Spencer, and Rossi approached Wanda "Hey, Wanda."

"Sam." said Wanda as she looked at Spencer and Rossi

"Uh, this is, uh, Agent Rossi and Dr. Reid of the FBI." said Sam as he pointed at the two agents who introduced themselves to him a short while ago before continuing

"Wanda Sullivan. She's the editor of our local newspaper." said Sam as he gestured for Spencer to sit down

"Nice to meet you, and thank you for what you're doing for us." said Rossi

"I've already looked through them. Nobody lurking in the background with a hatchet." said Wanda as she passed the pictures to Rossi, who passed some to Spencer

"Wanda here took these pictures. She was just brand-new at the paper back then." said Sam

"Is the FBI going to be at the town meeting tonight?" asked Wanda

"Uh, yes, ma'am." said Rossi

"Do you think it's smart? People hear the FBI's in town, they're gonna get scared." said Wanda

"No offense, but I think it's the head without the body and the body without the head that has the people scared." said Rossi

"We'll just be there to answer questions, hopefully, give some reassurance." said Spencer

"I think it's a mistake." said Wanda as she got up to leave the room

"Bye." said Spencer before glancing at Rossi

"Was it my cologne?" asked Rossi

"Don't take it personal." said a laughing Sam "We used to call her "Cyclone" Sullivan. You know, back in '88, once she got a whiff that Bronson Springs was on the shortlist for City of the Future Award, she, uh... well... We were going to win that sucker, or else. She made it her personal business to keep the folks in this town in line." said Sam

"How did she manage that?" asked Rossi

"Well, the first thing she did was put a crime blotter-type column in the newspaper. Every morning, she published stories about people's run-ins with the law." chuckled Sam

"Shamed the townspeople into good behavior." said Rossi

"Yeah, that was the idea." said Sam

"Do you think you could get us copies of those newspaper columns from that time? This could be someone holding a grudge." said Rossi

"You bet." said Sam as he showed Spencer a picture of a young girl "Ah, feels like a different world. Sometimes I wish I could crawl back in that time capsule and just... put it in reverse." said Sam

"Well, you know what they say. Progress was a wonderful thing. Just went on too long." said Rossi

Spencer looked at Sam.

"Sometimes I wish that I could go back to the day I held my daughter for the first time." said Spencer as he looked at the little girl in pigtails

"How old is your daughter?" asked Sam

"She's going to be 10 months old on the 17th." said Spencer

"If you don't mind, I would love to see a picture of your baby girl." said Sam

Spencer pulled out his phone and decided to show the photo that Olivia sent him on the way to meet with Sam.

"I was sent this photo about a half hour ago." said Spencer

Sam looked at the photo.

"You're definitely going to need to keep boys away from her when she becomes a teenager." said Sam

"I know, and I am already planning the moat and drawbridge that will be surrounding my yard in 13 years." said Spencer

* * *

"We're looking for a physically fit male between the ages of 45 and 55. And he's targeting people that he perceives as hypocrites." said Hotch

"In the 1980s, Wade Burke won student citizenship awards, but, in fact, had significant, repeated brushes with the law that were covered up." said Morgan

"Wanda Sullivan was a fervent anti-drug activist, yet secretly grew her own stash of marijuana." said Rossi

"And Charlie Figg broke the law that he was sworn to uphold by illegally maintaining a second family." said Hotch

"This need to punish hypocrisy might have been triggered when Bronson Springs was given the award as the perfect city, being held up as an example for the future." said JJ

"If the UnSub felt victimized, or that an injustice had been done to him, it might have motivated his need for revenge, not just against Wade Burke, but against the entire city, as well." said Spencer

"This person has extraordinary patience. He put the head of his first victim in a time capsule, knowing that it would be 25 years before people would know what he'd done." said Morgan

"He also spends a great deal of time meticulously planning his kills." said JJ

"So look at professions that would reflect this type of mindset. Artisans, uh, those who work long hours in solitude. Perfectionists." said Alex

"How did this guy keep from killing all those years?" asked Collier

"We call it self-initiated predation cessation. Most serial killers are unable to control their own impulses, but some seem to be able to self-regulate. It's like they have an on-off switch that they themselves can control." said Spencer

"The secret of the head in the capsule was probably enough to sustain him during this dormant phase." said Morgan

"And when the time capsule finally was opened, it was like an alarm clock going off. A wake-up call to resume killing." said Rossi

"He witnessed the fear it instilled in the town, and he wanted to keep that panic going." said JJ

"He's collecting heads again for a purpose. We think the UnSub is preparing for his next statement." said Alex

"And this statement will be bigger and bolder. And he's not going to wait 25 years. Thank you." said Hotch

* * *

Spencer walked with Rossi towards the lake where Todd Backus was found.

"Todd Backus, 72-year-old widower. Retired, lives by himself not too far from here." said Spencer

"Who found him?" asked Rossi

"Local fisherman. Said the victim liked to come to this spot a lot." said Spencer

"This UnSub has a confidence bordering on recklessness." said Rossi as he and Spencer heard voices over the radio "Anybody could have witnessed this."

"Yeah, but nobody did. You know? Not here, not on the county road with Charlie Figg, not at Wanda Sullivan's house. This UnSub's either very lucky, or very good." said Spencer as he and Rossi heard some thunder from a storm that was moving in

"Well, up until now, all of the victims in some way circle back to Wade Burke and his family. I wonder how... Mr. Backus here figures in." said Rossi as he looked at the body

Spencer saw some lightening from a distance.

"We should survey the scene quickly before heading to the SUV since a storm is coming in." said Spencer

* * *

Spencer pocketed his phone and searched for Sheriff Collier.

"Tory Chapman is married to Leanne." said Spencer

"He married her?" asked Sheriff Collier as he walked with Spencer towards Hotch

"Tory Chapman killed Wade Burke, then must have insinuated himself into Leanne Tipton's life." said Spencer

"Why?" asked Sheriff Collier

"Leanne must have presented as a victim, and he saw himself as her rescuer." said Hotch

A few minutes later Alex approached Hotch, Spencer, and Sheriff Collier.

"Leanne Tipton's statement about the rape- it's off." said Alex as she read a file

"What do you mean?" asked Spencer

"Listen to this. "He took me in the back room, "and I was really, really scared. "I didn't know what was going on, "and he... he kind of put his hand on my throat. "Then he started to, you know, take my clothes off. "I just tried to... And when he was finished, I ran."" read Alex

"What's off about that? Sounds like a woman getting raped." asked Sheriff Collier

"Really, really scared" is overselling. "Kind of put his hand on my throat" is underselling." said Spencer as he read the file

"And she uses the word "just, " which minimizes what follows. And down here, um... "He started to take my clothes off."" said Alex

"And "started to" typically indicates that what follows was interrupted." said Hotch

"This is a false accusation." said Spencer

* * *

Spencer was heading to city hall with Hotch and Alex as he summarized some papers that he was reading.

"The busts in the display case are of judges, mayors, civic leaders." said Spencer

"Chapman probably had to walk past them every time he went to court." said Hotch

"And if he felt that he and Leanne were given a raw deal..." said Alex

* * *

Spencer quietly walked into the hallway of City Hall with Alex and Hotch and Spencer followed Hotch's instructions to go around to another doorway to block Tory Chapman.

"Drop the weapon." ordered Hotch

"Please... don't." cried Leanne as her husband held a saw against her

"Drop it now." ordered Alex as Spencer appeared

"Ow!" sobbed Leanne

Tory kissed Leanne's head as he turned around with his hands up while holding the saw.

"Don't shoot. I'm putting it down right here." said Tory as he lowered the saw to the ground

"Do it slowly." ordered Spencer as he had his gun pointed at Tory

Hotch approached Tory, kicked the saw away and Spencer quickly grabbed the saw before helping Leanne, who sighed in relief.

"Cutting the heads off of people, only a crazy person would do that, right? And crazy people get released... Eventually." said Tory as Hotch handcuffed him

"I wouldn't count on that." said Alex

"It may take 25 years, but I can do that. 25 years? That's nothing. It's only time." said Tory as Hotch led him away while Spencer escorted Leanne to paramedics

* * *

Spencer looked at his teammates as they were flying back to Quantico.

"I am praying that the Replicator is caught before the babies are born so I can spend a month at home with Olivia, Piper, Albert, and Ava." said Spencer

Everyone nodded in agreement since they wanted the Replicator caught.

"After the Replicator is caught, I am going to get us all a few weeks off." said Hotch

"And I am hoping that he gets caught before my father is supposed to move in. He's planning on driving all the way from Las Vegas to Washington DC." said Spencer

"Your father's driving across country?" asked Alex

"He wants to bring his car with him instead of buying a new car, and I understand his reasoning since I drove my mother's Volvo all the way from Pasadena to Virginia when I got into the academy 10 years ago." said Spencer

"And I am shocked that the clunker of yours is still working." said Morgan

At that moment Spencer and Rossi both glared at Morgan.

* * *

Spencer quietly entered the house and grinned when he saw Piper toddling around the living room pushing her baby doll carriage as Olivia watched the news on TV.

"I see that my two girls are too occupied to see that I'm finally home with the promised mint chocolate chip ice cream." said Spencer as he hung up his jacket and set his go bag and messenger bag on the table near the door

Piper stopped pushing her carriage and grinned when she saw her daddy, causing her to quickly toddle towards him.

"Daddy ome!" exclaimed Piper as she reached her daddy and held her arms up, letting him know that she wants him to hold her

"I missed you Piper." said Spencer as he swept up his daughter and kissed her on the cheek before Piper mimicked his actions by giving her daddy a sloppy kiss

"I need help off the couch so I can welcome you home." said Olivia

Spencer walked towards Olivia with Piper on his hip and a few seconds later he used his free hand to help Olivia up before pecking her on the lips when Olivia's stomach growled.

"How about you continue resting your feet while I start making dinner, and after I give Piper her bath and put her to bed we can take a bubble bath together." said Spencer as he passed Piper to Olivia

"Deal, and please get me a spoon so I can start eating my ice cream." said Olivia

A few minutes later Spencer was starting dinner as Olivia looked at Piper who was chewing on the teething ring her daddy brought her.

"We are two lucky girls." said Olivia before she started eating her ice cream

* * *

 _A/N: I know that I put a teaser about Savannah making an appearance soon, and I already have it planned when she will appear._


	33. Ethan Visits & Nanny Dearest Part 1

_Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds._

 _A/N: I'm so sorry about the delay for this chapter. I came down with a nasty cold (I found out at the pharmacy when buying cold medicine that everyone is coming down with colds right now since it gotten a bit warmer causing the snow to melt), and I felt so horrible that I didn't feel like writing at all. But since I am feeling a bit better, I decided to finish up this chapter._

 _Shout out to southernbeauty13 for being the 175th reviewer of this story, and also a shout out to snowdrop65, OhSnapItsMadison, tannerose5, and Mrs. JaganshiReidofHufflepuff for reviewing chapter 32._

 _I decided to combine Ethan's visit with Nanny Dearest, so Nanny Dearest will be in two parts since I can't forget writing about Mother's Day. I am not going to mention what happened during the dinner that's held at Spencer's and Olivia's house or the baby shower since I wanted to include a scene with Spencer and Piper playing at the park, but you guys could use your own imagination for what happened during dinner at Spencer's house and the baby shower._

* * *

Spencer was sitting at the round table with his teammates about the Replicator when Anderson knocked on the open doorway.

"Dr. Reid, you have a visitor." said Anderson

"Who is it?" asked Spencer

"Not your father, aunt, or Olivia." said Anderson

Spencer stood up from where he was sitting, and his jaw dropped when he saw that Ethan was standing by the elevators.

"I know who the visitor is, and I have told you guys about him before since I grew up with him in Las Vegas." said Spencer before looking at Hotch who nodded at him to go greet his visitor

A minute later Spencer approached Ethan who was standing with his back to him, tapping his foot.

"Ethan?" asked Spencer as he placed his hands in his pocket to hide his wedding band

"Ethan turned around and grinned when he saw Spencer.

"I am in DC for the weekend, and I was hoping on catching up with you when I came across one of your recent articles." said Ethan

"It's great to see you man." said Spencer

"I tried calling the cellphone number you gave me six years ago, but it got disconnected." said Ethan

"I ended up changing my cellphone number when a coworker decided to give my number to the press a year and a half ago after I hustled him in the basketball pool, and don't worry because I pranked him by hacking into his Mp3 player and cellphone and recorded myself screaming while warning him not to get into a prank war with a Cal-tech grad." said Spencer

"You always found a way to use your degrees to pull hacks at Cal-tech." laughed Ethan

"I know." grinned Spencer

Ethan took in the appearance of his childhood friend and noticed that Spencer looked much healthier and happier than the last time he saw him.

"You're looking great man, and you don't look as skinny as you were the last time we saw each other." said Ethan

Spencer removed his hands from his pocket.

"My wife is a great cook." said Spencer

At that moment Ethan noticed the gold wedding band on Spencer's left ring finger.

"When did you get married?" asked Ethan

Before Spencer could answer, his cellphone vibrated and he saw a text message from Garcia.

ARE YOU GOING TO COME UP HERE AND INTRODUCE US TO YOUR FRIEND? ~ PG

Spencer laughed.

"I have a coworker who is demanding that I introduce you to everyone, and after I introduce you to my team I am going to ask my boss if I can take the rest of the day off so I can take you to my house where you will be staying instead of paying for a hotel room." said Spencer as he pointed at the conference room window

Spencer started leading Ethan to the stairs that led to the conference room and pointed out his desk to Ethan.

"That's my desk over there." said Spencer

Ethan looked at the desk that Spencer pointed to and noticed a picture of Spencer holding a baby girl who had her father's eyes and curly hair.

"So you decided to have kids despite your mother's schizophrenia?" asked Ethan

"I don't carry the gene for schizophrenia but my daughter might inherit Asperger's syndrome from me since I got diagnosed with it. And my wife is currently 31 weeks pregnant with twins." said Spencer as he led Ethan up the stairs and towards the conference room

"What's your little girl's name?" asked Ethan

"Piper Ann Reid, and she's 10 months old." answered Spencer as he led Ethan into the room "Guys, I would like to introduce you to my childhood friend Ethan Schafer."

Spencer's teammates introduced themselves to Ethan as they shook hands with him.

"Nice to meet you guys." said Ethan with his southern Louisiana drawl

Garcia looked at Ethan.

"Where have you been all my life? If I was single, I would have considered you my dream man based on your accent." said Garcia

"Don't you live in New Orleans?" asked Morgan

"Yes." said Ethan

"My husband is from New Orleans." said JJ

"What's his name?" asked Ethan

"Detective William LaMontagne Jr." said JJ

"I met him before since he and a few police officers would come to the bar where I play piano." said Ethan

"I have to hear you play the piano, and luckily Boy Wonder started playing a few years ago so there's a piano you can play at his house." said Garcia

Spencer looked at Hotch.

"Mind if I take the rest of the day off so I can catch up with Ethan and get him settled into my house?" asked Spencer

"Go ahead." said Hotch

"Olivia's hoping that everyone including Will, Henry, and Jack come over for dinner tonight." said Spencer

Hotch, Rossi, Morgan, JJ, Garcia, and Alex told him they would be there.

"Does Olivia have any suspicions about the surprise baby shower tomorrow?" asked Garcia

"No, she doesn't." said Spencer

Hotch looked at Spencer.

"Will and I are planning on taking Jack and Henry to the park tomorrow, and you can join us." said Hotch

"I'm going to join you guys since Jack asked me to teach him how to play chess." said Spencer

* * *

As Spencer and Ethan were heading towards Washington DC, Ethan decided to speak up.

"How did you meet your wife?" asked Ethan

"I was dealing with stress related migraines nearly two years ago, and when budget cuts were announced I decided to take a four and a half month long sabbatical. During my first day in Pasadena I met Olivia in a coffee shop, and after chatting with her for a few hours I asked her out." said Spencer

"What does Olivia do?" asked Ethan

"She was a mathematics professor at Cal-tech before deciding to follow me to Washington DC where she ended up accepting a position at Georgetown University, but she's going to be a stay at home mom after Albert and Ava are born. And at the end of May my dad is moving in to help take care of Piper, Albert, and Ava since they don't want to me quit what I love doing." said Spencer

"You tracked down your dead beat dad?" asked Ethan as he thought about how upset Spencer was when William left

"I tracked him down in 2008, but I really didn't start reconnecting with him until during my sabbatical when Olivia insisted on meeting my father." said Spencer

"Do your in-laws like you?" asked Ethan

"Never met them since they died when Olivia was 20, and the topic of having kids someday was a huge reason why I reconnected with my father." said Spencer as he continued to focus on the road

* * *

Spencer quietly entered the house with Ethan following him and grinned when he saw Olivia watching a soap opera, eating ice cream straight from the container.

"I guess I will have to run to the store later." said Spencer

Olivia turned her head.

"Yes you will." said Olivia before looking at Ethan "Who are you?"

"This is the Ethan I told you about." said Spencer

"Spencer has told me a lot about you, and I seen pictures of you two together as kids." said Olivia

"Where's Piper?" asked Spencer as he walked over to Olivia and helped her stand up

"She's taking a nap, but she's going to be so excited to see that you came home early." said Olivia before looking at Spencer "Did you offer Ethan one of our guest bedrooms?"

"Yes I did, and I didn't take no for an answer." said Spencer before looking at Ethan, "Let me show you the guest bedroom you are staying in, and then I am going to change out of my work clothes before making the three of us a snack."

"I'm coming with you guys since I need to walk around a bit, and when you make us a snack I want macaroni and cheese." said Olivia

Olivia, Spencer, and Ethan headed upstairs and Spencer gave Ethan a small tour while making sure to keep his voice down. 15 minutes later they were in the kitchen and Spencer started making macaroni and cheese.

* * *

As Spencer, Olivia, and Ethan were eating their snack, Spencer took a look at the iPad that contained video feed of Piper sleeping in her crib and saw Piper sitting up, sucking on her pacifier.

"Piper's awake so I am going to up there and bring her down." said Spencer

"I will keep Ethan company." said Olivia

"I will be back in a couple of minutes." said Spencer as he exited the kitchen and headed upstairs

A minute later Spencer entered Piper's nursery and Piper grinned when she saw him.

"Daddy home!" exclaimed Piper as he scooped her up

A few minutes later Piper was wearing a fresh diaper, and Spencer carried her downstairs where Ethan and Olivia were talking and laughing in the kitchen.

"Have a good nap sweet pea?" asked Olivia as she smiled at Piper

"I wan food." said Piper as she pointed at the macaroni and cheese

"You want some macaroni and cheese?" asked Spencer

"Ya." said Piper before looking at Ethan "Hi." said Piper as she waved at Ethan

"Hi there, cutie." said Ethan as he took in the sight of Spencer holding his little girl

Piper quickly buried her face into her daddy's neck.

"She sometimes goes through a shy phase when meeting new people." said Spencer apologetically as he started to put Piper into her high chair

"It's alright Man, and she's a beautiful baby." said Ethan

Olivia looked at her husband who was putting Piper into her high chair before fixing her a small bowl of macaroni and cheese.

"What time are your teammates, Will, Jack, and Henry arriving?" asked Olivia

"6:30." said Spencer as he handed Piper her spoon to feed herself

"Well I am going to go take a nap while you're on Piper duty while making sure to get dinner started before our guests arrive." said Olivia

"What are you craving tonight?" asked Spencer

"Lasagna." said Olivia

"I bet Rossi will be happy." teased Spencer

"He will be happy when you use the recipe that he gave you." said Olivia as she exited the kitchen to head upstairs while Spencer and Ethan put their bowls in the sink

At that moment Spencer and Ethan heard Piper laughing and turned their heads to see Piper with her bowl over her head as cheese sauce dribbled down her face.

"What am I going to do with you, Piper Ann?" muttered Spencer as he removed the bowl from Piper's head while Ethan handed him a wet paper towel "Thanks." said Spencer as he started cleaning Piper up

"Not a problem, and how about I do dishes while you give Piper a bath." said Ethan

"You don't have to help with housework while you're a guest here." said Spencer

"I want to." said Ethan

A few minutes later Spencer was in the bathroom giving Piper a bath while Ethan did dishes.

* * *

The next morning, Spencer and Ethan were getting ready to hang out with Hotch, Will, Jack, and Henry and Olivia walked into the living room with Piper toddling beside her.

"Where are you two boys going?" asked Olivia

"I am going to show Ethan around Washington DC." said Spencer

At that moment Piper's lip started quivering before she burst into tears.

"What's wrong?" asked Spencer

"I wan go bye bye wit Daddy." said Piper as crocodile tears streamed down her face

"I guess you can come along today." said Spencer as he scooped up Piper and wiped her tears

"Such a daddy's girl." muttered Olivia before groaning when she felt a hard kick

"May I Olivia?" asked Ethan

"Go ahead Ethan." said Olivia as she watched Spencer get Piper ready to go out and about

Ethan put his hand on Olivia's belly and a few seconds later he felt two kicks.

"Wow." said Ethan

"The kicking has gotten harder since entering the third trimester, and I can't wait to deliver these babies within the next nine weeks." said Olivia

A few minutes later Spencer was getting Piper's car seat buckled into the SUV and quickly called Garcia as he buckled himself in.

"What's up Boy Wonder?" asked Garcia

"Piper got upset when Ethan and I were leaving, so I decided to take her with me even though you were hoping to spend time with her today." said Spencer

"It's alright that Piper would rather be with you than the rest of us ladies Sweet Cheeks, and she will have more fun at the park since she's old enough to enjoy a few attractions. I want pictures taken at the park, and you better send me a picture of you going down the slide with Piper." said Garcia

Spencer laughed.

"I promise." said Spencer and exchanged goodbyes with Garcia before hanging up

* * *

Jack looked at Spencer who was walking with Piper while holding her little hand.

"Is Piper going to go down the slide?" asked Jack

"I'm planning on going down with her, and Aunt Penelope wants a picture of us going down the slide." said Spencer

Hotch shook his head.

"I will make sure to get that picture taken, Spencer." said Hotch

Spencer passed Hotch his phone, and two minutes later Spencer was getting ready to go down the slide with Piper on his lap.

"Ready Piper?" asked Spencer as he made sure to have a firm grip on her

"Ya." said Piper

Spencer scooted forward and a few seconds later he and Piper were going down the slide with Piper squealing with laughter as a laughing Hotch filmed the moment.

As Spencer got off the bottom of the slide with Piper on his hip.

"Daddy." said Piper

"What Piper?" asked Spencer as he tickled his daughter's belly

Piper pointed at the slide.

"You want to go down again?" asked Spencer

Piper nodded as her jaw length light brown curls bounced.

"One more time, and then I am going to push you on the swing." said Spencer as he pointed where Henry was being pushed by his father

"Aye." said Piper as her daddy carried her to the top of the playground equipment again so they could go down the slide

A few minutes later Spencer was pushing Piper who was squealing with laughter in the baby swing, and Ethan walked over to Hotch who was watching Jack kick his soccer ball around with Henry.

"I'm glad to see Spencer doing much better than he was in New Orleans over six years ago." said Ethan as he watched Spencer laugh at his daughter's antics

"Everyone was really worried about him during that time, and I'm glad he tracked you down to talk during that case or my team would have lost him." said Hotch as he watched Spencer lift Piper out of the baby swing and give her a kiss on the cheek before Piper mimicked her father's actions

* * *

A few days later Spencer was sitting in a chair by the bed that Olivia was laying on, and Dr. Carter looked from the monitor to Spencer and Olivia.

"Both Albert and Ava are doing great, and both of their heads are facing down which means they will be delivered vaginally." said Dr. Carter

"That's great." said Olivia

After a few more minutes of Dr. Carter getting pictures of the babies, she looked at Olivia.

"Well, let's have you get cleaned up so your husband can take you and Piper home before he heads to work." said Dr. Carter as she smiled at Piper who was sleeping in her car seat

20 minutes later Spencer was driving Olivia and Piper home before heading to Quantico.

* * *

An hour and a half later Spencer was putting his go bag and messenger bag under his desk when JJ looked at him.

"How was Olivia's doctor appointment?" asked JJ

"Albert and Ava are doing fine, and they are in the positions that are suitable for them to be born naturally." said Spencer as he passed JJ the copy of the ultrasound photo that he was given

"Only eight more weeks unless Albert and Ava are born sooner." said JJ as she looked at the photo

"I know, and I am glad that everything is ready for their arrival." said Spencer

"Everything washed and dried with the special detergent?" asked JJ

"I spent Sunday doing laundry after coming home from Mass while Olivia and Piper napped." said Spencer

At that moment Garcia came over the them.

"Conference room in five minutes." said Garcia

Five minutes later Spencer was sitting at the conference room table with his teammates.

"We're gonna make a pre-emptive trip to Los Angeles. This unsub kills on the same date every year. Go ahead, Garcia." said Hotch

"OK. I present to you, crime-fighters, an oldie but not such a goodie. I give you Rachel Hughes, Melissa Martinez, Tara Rios, Diana Brooks, and Gloria Clemente. You guys know the deets. This is news to you, Blake. Over the last 5 years, each of these women have disappeared from a park off the California coast, from as far south as San Diego and far north as San Francisco." said Garcia

"Each of them were nannies who were kidnapped while watching kids." said JJ

"Thankfully, each of the little ones was returned to a church or hospital totally unharmed within 24 hours." said Garcia

"But the nannies were found dead, posed on park benches and Los Angeles playgrounds. One a year, always on the same date." said Morgan

"May 13. The actual abduction date varies from case to case, but the unsub goes to great lengths to make sure the bodies are found that exact day." said Spencer

"All except victim number 3, Tara Rios. Somehow, she managed to escape." said Rossi

"Garbage truck driver found her passed out in an alley in Hollywood. She had no idea who took her or where he held her." said Morgan

"Morgan and I questioned her, I even tried to do cognitive, but she was way too traumatized to remember much of anything at all." said JJ

"Clearly, she dissociated from the event." said Alex

"We've contacted her several times over the past few years trying to get more info, but she just refuses to talk to us." said JJ

"Her reluctance isn't surprising. Each of the victims was sexually assaulted and tortured with burning implements for several days." said Hotch

"And then he drowned them in scalding water when he was done." said Morgan

"But no matter where he grabs them, he always returns them to L. A." said Rossi

"Both the location and that date obviously mean something significant, but what?" asked Alex

"May 13 is two weeks away." said Spencer as he thought about Olivia being 34 weeks pregnant with Albert and Ava that day

"Garcia, go ahead and alert the press on the West Coast. When we land in L. A., Morgan and JJ will take the jet to Seattle and make a personal plea to Tara Rios. Wheels up in 30." said Hotch

Spencer pulled out his phone and called Olivia right away. She answered on the second ring.

"Have a case?" asked Olivia

"Going to Los Angeles." said Spencer

"Like I always tell you before, please stay safe." said Olivia

"I promise, and please text me every three hours to let me know how you're doing." said Spencer

"I will keep you updated, and I am already planning on asking Diane to come over and help out with Piper and Einstein." said Olivia

"I love you." said Spencer

"Love you too." said Olivia before hanging up

* * *

"Other than their occupation, there's no connection between these victims." said Alex

"His need to commemorate the anniversary is what's behind it, and whatever message he's trying to send." said Hotch

"And what exactly is he trying to say?" asked Rossi

"Well, whatever it is, this anniversary date has to be associated with some kind of long-term stressor." said JJ

"That date could be anything. Birthdate, death date, a traumatic event." said Rossi

"His first victim, Rachel Hughes, was the only one he both kidnapped and dumped in Griffith Park." said Spencer as he looked at the file on his lap

"Well, the first time is usually the most significant." said Alex

At that moment Garcia's face popped up on the monitors.

"Newsflash, my family, and how I wish it was the good kind. Another nanny and a kid just disappeared in Los Angeles. Her name is Gina Mendes. She was watching a 2-year-old named Phoebe Payton." said Garcia

"Think that's our guy?" asked Morgan

"I'd bet on it." said Rossi

"I think he's ahead of schedule. He's never abducted his victims more than 4 days before the anniversary date." said Spencer

Hotch looked at Spencer and Rossi.

"You two check out the crime scene and Blake and I will interview Phoebe's parents." said Hotch as his phone vibrated and noticed the coordinates that Garcia sent him "Phoebe and Gina were abducted at Griffith Park near the observatory." said Hotch

"I'm familiar with that park since it's a 15 minute drive from Cal-tech." said Spencer

"And that's why I decided that sending you to the latest crime scene would be a good idea." said Hotch

* * *

Spencer and Rossi got out of the SUV and Rossi looked at Spencer.

"How about you look at the crime scene while I interview the nannies." said Rossi as he pointed at the crime scene

"Deal." said Spencer as he took in the familiar sights

A short while later Spencer was finishing his search around the abduction sight and saw the stroller in the trunk, causing him to think about Piper. A few minutes later he was removing his latex free gloves and approached Rossi.

"I just talked to a bunch of nannies over at the observatory. They knew Gina and Phoebe. Said they're here every, uh, Tuesday and Thursday." said Rossi as he looked at his little black book

"A regular schedule or routine gives children a sense of security, and you know that Livy and I try to keep Piper to a schedule." said Spencer

"That would make it easy for him to stalk her. He knew exactly when she would be here." said Rossi

"She never made it back to the car, which means he grabbed her somewhere between here and the observatory." said Spencer

Spencer and Rossi started walking.

"Broad daylight, public park, LAPD regularly patrolling the area. This guy's got cojones." said Rossi

"He probably threatens the children as a means to gain the nanny's compliance." said Spencer

"Well, we know he's got his own transport. It's gotta be a van or an SUV. And he's patient. He only kills once a year. The rest of the time, he's stalking or planning." said Rossi

"One thing's different, though. He's back in Griffith Park." said Spencer

"Coincidence?" asked Rossi

"Griffith Park spans 4, 310 acres, making it one of the largest urban parks in all of North America. Given the sheer size, coincidence certainly is a possibility." said Spencer

"But he's never repeated parks before." said Rossi

"No, he hasn't." said Spencer as he lifted the crime scene tape for he and Rossi

* * *

"LAPD's got every church and hospital in the city covered. So far nothing." said Hotch

"Maybe the police presence scared him off." said Spencer

"They're only using plainclothes." said Hotch

"Even so, this guy has evaded arrest for this long. He's probably got a nose for cops." said Rossi

"I don't know. He's a creature of habit. Veering off his schedule would be a big departure in his M. O." said Alex

"He's already veering from his schedule, though. I mean, he abducted Gina earlier than expected. He never keeps the children longer than 24 hours. He's had Phoebe for almost 28." said Spencer

"I wonder what that means for Gina. Will he stick to his schedule with her?" asked Rossi

"He returned all 5 of the other kids. Why is he holding Phoebe?" asked Alex

"We should consider the implications if he doesn't bring her back." said Spencer as he thought about Piper, causing him to pull out his cellphone and send Olivia a text message

WOULD YOU PLEASE SEND ME A VIDEO OF PIPER? THIS CASE IS DEALING WITH KIDS, AND I MISS HER. ~ SR

A few minutes later Spencer's cellphone vibrated and he smiled softly when he saw that Olivia filmed Piper.

"I just got a new video of Piper." said Spencer

"Well, let's see it since Piper would be a good distraction right now." said Rossi

Hotch, Alex, and Rossi were by Spencer who started playing the video and they saw Piper standing in her pajamas.

"Say hi to Daddy." said Olivia

"Hi Daddy." said Piper as she waved for the camera

"Can you start blowing kisses for your daddy?" asked Olivia

Piper started blowing some kisses, which caused Spencer to smile.

"Can you say good night to daddy since it's bedtime?" asked Olivia

"I go seepy Daddy." said Piper before toddling away

At that moment Olivia's face was showing in the video.

"I had this video made 30 minutes before you asked me to send a video, and I am always one phone call away if you need to talk to me. I love you Spencer, and please stay safe." said Olivia before the screen went black

Hotch looked at Spencer.

"Do you have anything special planned for Mother's Day?" asked Hotch

"I already have a gift that's going to be sent to my mom, and Piper helped me pick out a gift for Olivia." said Spencer

"Piper's only 10 months old." said Hotch

"I know, but I asked Piper to point at which locket she likes better." said Spencer as he fished the locket out of his messenger bag and opened up the box to show Alex, Hotch, and Rossi

"That's a beautiful locket." said Alex

Spencer placed the jewelry box back into his messenger bag.

"I know, and I am also planning on making breakfast in bed for Olivia." said Spencer before letting out a yawn

"Since there's not that much we can do tonight, we might as well go to the hotel and get some sleep." said Hotch

* * *

 _A/N: I am over halfway done with chapter 34 which will conclude Nanny Dearest and Spencer spoiling Olivia on Mother's Day._


	34. Nanny Dearest Part 2 & Mother's Day

__Disclaimer: I do now own Criminal Minds__

 _A/N: Shout out to Snowdrop65, OhSnapItsMadison, and tannerose5 for reviewing chapter 33._

* * *

 **Previously in Chapter 33**

 **Hotch looked at Spencer.**

 **"Do you have anything special planned for Mother's Day?" asked Hotch**

 **"I already have a gift that's going to be sent to my mom, and Piper helped me pick out a gift for Olivia." said Spencer**

 **"Piper's only 10 months old." said Hotch**

 **"I know, but I asked Piper to point at which locket she likes better." said Spencer as he fished the locket out of his messenger bag and opened up the box to show Alex, Hotch, and Rossi**

 **"That's a beautiful locket." said Alex**

 **Spencer put the jewelry box back in his messenger bag.**

 **"I know, and I am also planning on making breakfast in bed for Olivia." said Spencer before letting out a yawn**

 **"Since there's not that much we can do tonight, we might as well go to the hotel and get some sleep." said Hotch**

* * *

The following morning Spencer and Rossi were looking at the information they spread on the table as Alex came over to them.

"I'm at a dead end. I spoke to the families of the previous victims and they had nothing to add to their original statements." said Alex

"Why hasn't he returned Phoebe Payton yet? There has to be a reason." said Spencer

"I hate to state the obvious, but maybe he killed her." said Rossi

"But why take the time, effort, and risk to return all the other kids just to kill this one?" asked Alex

"You know, she could have succumbed to an asthma attack." said Spencer

"Or we're looking at this wrong. What if he's finally found the kid he's really been looking for?" asked Rossi

"But we profiled him as a sexual sadist with rage issues. The children have no value to him. It's the nannies he wants." said Alex

"The first part of that still could be right. Clearly he's a sadist. But what if the kids are more valuable to him than the nannies?" asked Rossi

"Then the nannies are collateral damage in the hunt for what he really wants-a child. And somehow Phoebe Payton fits the bill. That explains why he abducted her earlier than expected." said Spencer

"Well, why wouldn't he just grab the children, then?" asked Alex

"Because he's attracted to the dynamic between nanny and child." said Rossi

"It could also be a forensic countermeasure. If he only took the children, he would have left witnesses behind." said Spencer

"But what's so special about Phoebe? What makes her different from the others?" asked Rossi as he looked at Spencer

At that moment Spencer looked at the papers in front of him before picking up a piece of paper.

"The asthma." said Spencer as Rossi called Garcia

"Hallelujah, this place is dead. Give me a job, give me a job." said Garcia

"Garcia, I need you to check the health records of all 5 kids that the unsub returned. Any special needs, any medications." said Rossi as Spencer pressed his lips together

"Okey-dokey artichokey. Uh... Everyone healthy as a horse. That's super healthy. Clean bill. Nothing." said Garcia

"Thanks, Garcia." said Rossi before hanging up

"If his ultimate objective is the kid, then he may abandon his schedule altogether." said Alex

"Which means Gina may not have until May 13." said Spencer

"We need a targeted media strategy. I'll go get Hotch." said Rossi before walking away

Spencer looked at Alex.

"Do you think we are going to be giving the profile on TV?" asked Spencer

"I think so, and knowing Hotch and Rossi they are going to have all four of us be on TV before Phoebe's parents get to speak on TV." said Alex

"Last year in January, Hotch told me that he was going to have me speak to the press more often." said Spencer

"When you called out a civilian who was speaking to the press?" asked Alex

"How did you know?" asked Spencer

"Olivia told me about that." said Alex

Spencer looked down at the picture of Phoebe on the table, and he thought about what Piper would look like when she's two years old.

"What are you thinking about?" asked Alex

"Thinking about what Piper's going to look like when she's Phoebe's age." said Spencer

"How about while we find out what's going to happen, you take a few minutes to talk to Piper on the phone." said Alex

At that moment Spencer pulled out his phone and dialed Olivia's number.

* * *

Meanwhile in Washington DC, Olivia was sitting on the couch as Piper sat on the floor playing with one of her toys when Olivia's cellphone rang.

"I was just about to call you since Piper wants to hear your voice." said Olivia as she answered the phone

"Well I have a few minutes to talk, so please put her on." said Spencer

At that moment Olivia put her phone on speaker and she looked at Piper.

"Daddy's on the phone." said Olivia

At that moment Piper's eyes lit up before she got off the floor and toddled over to her mother.

"Hi Daddy." said Piper

"Hey there Piper. Are you being good for mommy?" asked Spencer

"I ood for Mommy." said Piper

"Daddy misses and loves you." said Spencer

At that moment Olivia heard some voices in the background before Spencer spoke up.

"I have to go, and it seems like I will be on national television." said Spencer

"Know what channel I can put on so Piper and I can watch you?" asked Olivia

Spencer gave Olivia the channel as Olivia grabbed the remote and put on the channel before texting her father in law to tell him that Spencer will be on TV and what channel to turn on.

"I love you two girls, and I will come home safe." said Spencer before hanging up

Olivia looked at Piper who started to have tears stream down her face.

"You will be seeing Daddy in a few minutes." said Olivia as she pointed at the TV

A few minutes later Olivia saw her husband exit the LA Police Department with Hotch, Rossi, and Alex and she looked at Piper.

"Who's that on TV?" asked Olivia

Piper looked at the TV and her eyes went wide when she saw her Daddy.

"Daddy!" exclaimed Piper as she toddled over to the TV

* * *

Meanwhile in Los Angeles Spencer stood on the steps of the LA police department as he thought about Olivia watching him on TV at the moment since he gave her a heads up about giving the profile on national television.

"We believe we're looking for a Caucasian male who's almost certainly a resident of Los Angeles county." said Hotch

"As you know, he operates on a strict yearly schedule, which takes patience and discipline. Which leads us to believe he's in his late 30s or 40s." said Rossi

"He abducts his victims from public parks in broad daylight, which tells us that he's socially competent, fits in, appears non-threatening." said Spencer from his place next to Rossi

"In other words, he's someone you'd never notice." said Rossi

"Do you think he'll abduct more victims anytime soon?" asked a reporter

"It's possible, though we find it highly doubtful. His schedule seems to be very important to him." said Hotch

"Then why hasn't he returned the baby yet?" asked another reporter

"We think he suffers from a rare psychological disorder called paternal desire." said Rossi

"Like its sister disorder, maternal desire, it stems from a deep-seated need to fill an emotional void left by the loss of a child." said Spencer

"We think that loss may be related to some kind of long-term stressor in his life." said Alex

"And this explains why he exhibits so much rage and violence against the nannies that he abducts." said Spencer

"He's shown little mercy toward his adult victims, but he's been compassionate to the children. And it's that sense to which we'd like to appeal. At this point I'd like to introduce Shane and Melody Payton. These are Phoebe's parents and Gina's employers. Mr. and Mrs. Payton." said Hotch as Shane and Melody Payton stepped up to the podium while Melody held a picture of Payton and Shane held Phoebe's medication

"Please... If you're watching this or if you know the man who did this, please contact the authorities." said Shane  
Melody let out a sob before she spoke.

"Phoebe's just... She's just a baby. And our nanny, Gina, she is a good person. She doesn't deserve this." said Melody as her voice broke

"Just do the right thing and let them go, please. Phoebe has severe asthma and she needs this medication. She can't breathe without it." said Shane as he cried

"Please let them go. Give our baby back!" cried Melody as her husband embraced her

* * *

Spencer stood outside the room that JJ and Morgan were in with Tara, listening to the interview.

"So, can you tell us about Jake?" asked JJ

"He was adorable. Big blue eyes. He was such a good boy." said Tara

"When was the last time you saw him?" asked Morgan

"That day. The day that we got taken. We went to the park, like we always did. Jake loved the park." said Tara

"What's the first thing that comes to mind when you think about that day?" asked Morgan

"It was chilly. I forgot my coat." said Tara

"What can you tell us about the abduction itself?" asked JJ

Tara sighed.

"It all happened so quickly." said Tara

"That's OK. Take your time." said JJ

"A man came up to us. I think- I think he had a leash in his hand." said Tara

"Did he have a dog?" asked Morgan

"Yeah. Yeah, he did." said Tara

"That's good. You didn't remember that before. Do you know what kind of dog?" asked JJ

"No, but it was big. I didn't- I didn't want it near Jake. He said... He said Jake reminded him of his baby sister." said Tara

"You said before he was a white guy. Can you see his face?" asked Morgan

"No. But he has a gun and he's- he's pointing it at Jake. Oh, God." said Tara

"Calm down. Just concentrate on the light. What happened next?" asked JJ gently

"He hit me... In my face, then I fell. Jake was crying and... I couldn't help him. I couldn't do anything. I... I think I passed out. I... I... The burning... Woke me up. He was using cigarettes. I was tied to a bed. He kept saying, "Can you take it?" And he said if I couldn't take it that he was gonna do it to Jake. Oh, my God." said Tara

"OK. You're safe now, Tara." said JJ

"Jake, he won't stop crying. He says he needs help." said Tara as she cried

"You actually heard the word "help"?" asked JJ

"Yeah." said Tara

"That can't be Jake, Tara. He's too little to talk." said Morgan, but then he thought of Piper who was already talking at 10 months old

"No, it was a woman." said Tara

"A woman? What woman?" asked Morgan

"I don't know. I don't know! I need to stop now. I need to stop." cried Tara before leaving the room

* * *

"So if this mystery blonde in blue was in the van with Tara, that means the unsub probably grabbed them on the same day." said Rossi

"He's never taken more than one woman at a time, though." said Spencer

"Maybe she wasn't part of the plan." said Hotch as Alex entered the room

"JJ and Morgan are still working with Tara. She thinks she might be able to describe the unsub enough to get a composite sketch." said Alex as Hotch answered a phone call from Garcia

"What have you got, Garcia?" asked Hotch

"What I've got is a promotion coming, 'cause, damn, I am good. A very blond Alison Astor was reported missing 3 years ago. Now, she's from Dallas, but she never returned home from a business trip she took to Los Angeles. She was single, she worked as a sales rep for a pharmaceutical company, she was an avid runner. She even qualified for the Boston marathon, which is not easy." said Garcia

"All right, call the coroner's office and see if there are any unidentified female remains for the last 3 years." said Hotch

"Um, sir, you're talking to me. That's already done. It's L. A., so there are 12 unidentified female bodies, but only one with blond hair, wearing a blue shirt, and the coroner is expecting you, and you're welcome." said Garcia before hanging up

* * *

Spencer entered the room where Allison's body was being held with Rossi as Dr. Mendoza spoke to them.

"Sorry about the wait. She was way in the back and her possessions were up in storage. Here's the report. She was scheduled to be buried soon, but every day we I. D. One of our Jane Does." said Dr. Mendoza

"You weren't able to determine exact cause of death." said Spencer as he thought about the report he read

"Inconclusive. She was too decomposed." said Dr. Mendoza

Spencer looked at the report as he spoke.

"Found in a shallow grave up in a remote part of Griffith Park." said Spencer

"So she was out there at least a year before she was found." said Dr. Mendoza

"Critters must have got to her, too." said Rossi

"Yeah. They went to town. You can see bite marks on her tibia, fibula. They're on her radius, too. Something weird on this leg. These bite marks here- too big for anything out in Griffith Park. I'd say that's from a very large dog, one pushing 100 pounds or so." said Dr. Mendoza

* * *

Spencer was working on a geographical profile as Hotch, Alex, and Rossi talked about Alison.

"He puts the nannies on display, but he hides Alison Astor in a remote shallow grave." said Rossi

"Before Alison started in pharmaceuticals, she was a corpsman in the Navy. She probably witnessed Tara's abduction and tried to intervene." said Alex

"It makes sense. She was trained to help people." said Rossi

"He hid her body because Tara escaped. And the anniversary means too much to him to have Alison's body be the one to be discovered." said Hotch as Morgan came into the room

"Well, we got our composite sketch." said Morgan

"Hey, guys. Check this out." said Spencer as he quickly got up and headed to the board where another map was "He grabbed his first victims from here. He abducted Gina and Phoebe from here. He buried Alison Astor up here. And down here in Hollywood is where Tara Rios was found passed out." said Spencer as he marked certain areas on the map

"We can give it another try, but she has no idea where she escaped from or how long she was wandering." said Morgan

"I'm actually more intrigued by what lies between these 4 points. Look." said Spencer as he drew squares around certain areas on the map "Dog parks. There's two of them." said Spencer

Alex who understood Spencer's reasoning spoke up.

"She did say he had a dog. And there were bite marks on Alison Astor's leg." said Alex

"As a dog owner myself, I know that dog owners tend to be very regimented. They follow a strict schedule." said Spencer as he thought about Einstein who is gentle with everyone

"And being out with his dog would allow him to inconspicuously stalk his prey." said Hotch

"Those parks are extremely social. Someone out there had to see this guy." said Morgan

* * *

Spencer was heading to Griffith park with his teammates to interview people at Griffith park with his teammates.

"Morgan, you and JJ canvas the north end of the park, we'll take the south." said Hotch

Spencer, who was in the back seat of the SUV that Hotch was driving in spoke up since he is familiar with the park.

"We should make sure LAPD covers playgrounds and walking trails as well. I suggest we go as far west as Runyon Canyon." said Spencer

"A lot of real estate." said Rossi

"It'll be nightfall soon." said Alex

"If this guy is planning on keeping the kid, there's a good chance he won't even stick to his anniversary date." said Morgan as they pulled into Griffith park

* * *

Spencer walked around the dog park, showing dog owners the composite sketch of their unsub while being glad that the dogs he was near weren't even growling or barking at him when they smelled Einstein on him.

A few minutes later Spencer approached Hotch, Alex, and Rossi and Hotch looked at Spencer.

"Were any dogs affected by the Reid-Effect?" asked Hotch

"I believe that the Reid-Effect is completely over since none of the dogs growled or barked at me when they smelled Einstein on me." said Spencer

* * *

Spencer quietly entered Piper's nursery and smiled when he saw her peacefully sleeping while sucking on her pacifier with her arms over her head.

"Daddy loves you so much, Piper." whispered Spencer as he ran his fingers gently through her light brown curls

Piper, who felt her daddy's touch opened her eyes and spit out her pacifier before smiling at him.

"Daddy." said Piper as she made a sign saying that she needs a diaper change

Spencer lifted Piper out of her crib and carried her to the changing table where he quickly changed her diaper before taking her to the master bedroom where Olivia was just walking out of the master bedroom.

"You're home." said Olivia as she waddled over to her husband and pecked him on the lips before kissing Piper's head "Did you and your teammates find the little girl and her nanny alive?"

"We sure did, but I really want to keep Piper close to me." said Spencer as he worked his eyes on Olivia

"You can't always bring Piper to bed with you when you come home this late." said Olivia as she took Piper from her father

"I know, but I need to keep both of my girls close to me tonight." said Spencer as he grabbed some pajamas

"I think it's a good thing we have a king sized bed. I can imagine that when you come home from a case this late, you will bring Piper, Albert, and Ava in here since you already do that with Piper." teased Olivia as she soothed Piper back to sleep

"I am going to take a quick shower before joining my two girls in bed." said Spencer as he headed into the bathroom

15 minutes later Spencer, Olivia, and Piper were fast asleep in bed with Piper sleeping on top of her daddy.

* * *

A week later Spencer entered Garcia's bat cave with the locket he got Olivia and his flash drive that contained pictures of Piper.

"What can I do for you, Boy Wonder?" asked Garcia as she eyed the jewelry box "Is that for me?"

"It's Olivia's Mother's Day present, but could you help me print off a photo of Piper to fit into this locket?" asked Spencer as he showed Garcia the locket

"Sure." said Garcia as she took the jump drive from Spencer and inserted it into her computer "Have an idea on what photo you want in the locket?" asked Garcia as she smiled at all the photos that Spencer had of Piper on his flash drive

Spencer eyed the photos and pointed out the photo he wanted in the locket.

"That one." said Spencer

"I was going to suggest that one due to how cute Piper's hair looks." said Garcia as she started to edit the photo

"After Albert and Ava are born, I am going to have a picture of the twins together fitted for the empty space." said Spencer

"I was hoping that you would have a picture of the twins put into the locket after they are born." said Garcia as she printed off the photo

10 minutes later Spencer had the photo in the locket, and Garcia looked at him.

"Have a gift for your mom yet?" asked Garcia

Spencer pulled a photo album from his messenger bag and showed it to Garcia.

"Olivia and I worked on this project together." said Spencer

At that moment Garcia started flipping through the photo album and couldn't hide her smile when she saw pictures of Spencer with his mom when he was a little boy.

"I am hoping that Albert is a clone of you since you looked so adorable as a little boy." cooed Garcia as she continued to go through the album and see pictures of Diana with Spencer and Piper from the times that Diana got to see her granddaughter

"Livy is too, and I am hoping that Ava is a clone of Olivia." said Spencer

"Either way Albert and Ava are going to be some of the cutest babies since Piper's one of the cutest babies that I ever seen." said Garcia as she looked at a photo of Spencer, Olivia, and Piper together with Piper in-between her parents

* * *

A few days later Spencer woke up to sunlight streaming through the bedroom curtains and quickly put on his glasses before smiling softly at his sleeping wife before getting out of bed and taking the baby monitor with him into the bathroom to do his business before entering Piper's nursery to see that she was waking up.

"Daddy." said Piper as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes

"How about we get some breakfast before taking breakfast in bed to your mommy since it's Mothers Day." said Spencer as he changed Piper's diaper before putting her into the onesie that Garcia made for her to wear on Mothers Day.

"Ya." said Piper as her daddy scooped her from her changing table before carrying her downstairs where Spencer quickly let Einstein out before starting breakfast

* * *

Spencer carried a babbling Piper into the master bedroom as Olivia exited the bathroom.

"Get back in bed and cuddle with Piper." said Spencer

"Why?" asked Olivia as she followed her husband's instructions

As Spencer passed Piper over to Olivia, Olivia's eyes went wide when she saw Piper's onesie saying HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY MOMMY!

At that moment tears started streaming down Olivia's face.

"Stupid pregnancy hormones." muttered Olivia

"How about you cuddle with Piper while I go grab breakfast." said Spencer as he quickly left the bedroom and two minutes later he was putting a tray of scrambled eggs and pancakes onto the night stand

"Are you going to eat breakfast?" asked Olivia as she started eating breakfast

"Piper and I already ate." said Spencer

A few minutes later Olivia pushed her half empty plate away.

"I really can't eat anymore." said Olivia as she rubbed her nearly 34 week pregnant belly

"You are at the stage where you will be eating smaller meals a few times a day." said Spencer

Olivia glared at her husband.

"Sorry." said Spencer as he pulled a gift bag from its hiding place "Here's your Mother's Day gift."

Olivia opened up the card and tears started streaming down her face when she read the card and noticed Piper's hand print.

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY TO THE BEST MOMMY IN THE WORLD.

LOVE,

PIPER, ALBERT, AND AVA REID.

At that moment Olivia removed a framed photo and noticed that it was a picture that Piper most likely finger painted herself next to a photo of her with Piper that Spencer recently took of them sitting on the couch.

"I found some safe finger paint for Piper to use, and I supervised her when you were taking a nap a few days ago." said Spencer

Olivia looked at Piper who was chewing on her teething ring.

Thank you for the picture Piper." said Olivia as she kissed her baby girl's head before looking in the gift bag.

She pulled out a jewelry box and gasped when she saw a locket

"Open it." said Spencer

Olivia opened the locket and smiled when she saw a photo of Piper.

"After Albert and Ava are born, I will take a photo of the twins together and have the picture sized for this locket." said Spencer

"I love it." said Olivia as she kissed her husband

After Spencer and Olivia broke out of their kiss, Spencer looked at her.

"What would you like to do today?" asked Spencer

"With how I can barely move around, I just want to cuddle with my two favorite people on the couch while watching movies." said Olivia

"I think a quiet Sunday at home is a great idea, my Queen." said Spencer as he kissed Olivia on the lips before Piper squealed with laughter at her parents antics

"You feeling left out, my little Princess?" asked Spencer as he gave Piper a kiss on the cheek


	35. Number 6

Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds

 _A/N: Shout out to OhSnapItsMadison, Guest, for reviewing chapter 34._

 _This chapter takes place a few hours after the last chapter, and I made a change in the conversation between Spencer and Alex._

 _I created a new poll that will deal with the upcoming sequel Love Takes Away the Pain: Book Three since this story is coming to an end and there are two episodes left, the births of Albert and Ava, and Piper's first birthday coming up (Piper's birthday will be the last chapter and she's a few days from turning 11 months old). So please visit my profile and vote._

* * *

Spencer was helping Piper build a tower with her blocks when his phone vibrated and he saw a text message from Garcia.

WE HAVE A CASE, SO HEAD TO THE BAU ASAP. ~ PG

"A case?" asked Olivia

Spencer nodded.

"Are you sure that you're going to be fine with me leaving on a case?" asked Spencer

"Go Spencer, and I am sending Maeve a text message right now and asking her to come over." said Olivia as she sent Maeve a text message

MY WONDERFUL HUSBAND JUST GOT CALLED IN FOR A CASE, AND HE WON'T LEAVE THE HOUSE UNLESS I SEND YOU A TEXT MESSAGE ASKING YOU TO STAY WITH ME WHILE HE'S ON A CASE. ~ OR

"I just sent it." said Olivia sweetly as her phone vibrated

BOBBY AND I ARE PACKING BAGS RIGHT NOW, AND WE WILL BE THERE IN 20 MINUTES. WE CAN TALK ABOUT THE MOTHER'S DAY PRESENTS THAT OUR HUSBANDS AND DAUGHTERS GOT US WHILE BOBBY PLAYS WITH ANDREA AND PIPER. ~ MP

"Maeve, Andrea, and Bobby will be here in 20 minutes, so you should go say goodbye to Piper and get to work before Hotch and Garcia call me asking me where you are." said Olivia

"I'm sorry about missing the rest of Mother's Day." said Spencer

"It's OK Spencer, and as soon as Albert and Ava are born I get to keep you for a month." said Olivia

* * *

Hotch looked at his agents.

"Sorry for calling you guys in, but there were no other teams available." said Hotch as he nodded at Garcia to start briefing

"Oh... It looks like someone is taking the term "Motor City" too literally. In the last month, Detroit P. D. has found two different crime scenes in the trunks of two different cars." said Garcia as she glanced at Alex, Spencer, and JJ who were the only married ones on the team

"Married couples in each trunk?" asked JJ

"Yeah. Brian and Melissa Cain in car number one, Paul and Elizabeth Garrett in car number two. Elizabeth was found alive by a couple of kids, but by the time the paramedics got there, she had lost too much blood." said Garcia

"Well, it takes a lot of skill to force a couple into their own car, even with a gun." said Morgan

"But once he does, it's one-stop shopping for this guy. His car become an abduction vehicle and a dumping site." said Rossi

"According to missing persons reports, he holds on to them for about a week. Do you know what he does with them during that time?" asked Spencer

"Yes, unfortunately I do, and that information is on your tablets in picture form. And if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go to my happy place." said Garcia as she sat down while everyone took a look at their tablets

"Ah. Wow, this guy sure likes to cut, doesn't he?" asked Morgan

"Mostly shallow. They could almost be considered hesitation marks, except for the sheer number." said JJ

"M. E. puts the count at nearly 50 per victim, and the cause of death is one final stab that's fatal." said Garcia

"Physical and psychological sadism. They never know if the next cut is the one that will kill them." said Alex

"And the amount of urban decay in Detroit gives him a lot of room to maneuver. We need to stop him before he takes another couple." said Hotch before giving his agents a departure time and looking at Spencer "Are you sure that you don't want to stop field work right now?" asked Hotch

"Olivia told me to go, and Maeve, Bobby, and their 11 month old daughter are with Olivia and Piper right now." said Spencer

"OK." said Hotch

"Olivia hasn't been showing signs of labor despite entering the 34th week of her second pregnancy, but she knows to call me as soon as she knows that she's in labor." said Spencer

"As soon as you get that phone call from your wife or the hospital about Olivia being in labor, I am sending you back here on the jet." said Hotch

"Yes sir." as he pulled out his phone and called Olivia, who answered on the second ring

"Where are you going Spencer?" asked Olivia

"Detroit, Michigan." said Spencer

"OK." said Olivia

"I have to get going since we are heading to the jet right now and I know the rules about staying safe." said Spencer

"Love you." said Olivia

"Love you too." said Spencer before hanging up

* * *

"So, we know this unsub uses the victims' own cars as his dump site." said Rossi

"Technically, it's not a dump site, it's a transportation disposal modality." said Spencer

"The point is, what does he do once he abandons the car? Walk?" asked Rossi

"Well, both cars were found about 500 feet from public transportation. He could catch a bus or a train, but back to where?" asked JJ

"His secondary location is most likely in Detroit. Both the couples he kidnapped are from Grosse Pointe, which is one of the most affluent communities in all of America, and it's only 8 miles from downtown." said Spencer

"Well, then he's probably from Grosse Pointe, too. To overwhelm two people at once, he has to blend in." said Morgan

"It feels like the real question is, why married couples?" asked Hotch

"If he's a sadist, having a witness to his torture heightens his pleasure." said Alex

"Israel Keyes kidnapped a husband and wife at gunpoint, got them in a car, took them to a remote location, and then killed the husband in front of the wife." said Spencer

"Keyes was a sexual sadist, though. This guy, I don't know." said Rossi

"Cutting a husband and wife to death, it's it's more like he's mocking their marriage bond." said JJ

"That's where my head's at. They took each other for better or worse, now I'm going to show you worse." said Rossi

"So his home life's probably a wreck. At least one ex-wife, not to mention his mom and dad." said Morgan

"All right, we need to hit the ground running. Reid, I want you working on a geographic profile." said Hotch as Reid nodded at him "Blake, you and Rossi go to the morgue, cover victimology. JJ and Morgan, go look at the cars. We need to understand how he's gaining control of the victims." said Hotch

* * *

Spencer looked at Detective Keaton.

"May I have a detailed map of Detroit and Grosse Pointe so I can start a geographical profile?" asked Spencer

"I will get you that right away, Dr. Reid." said Detective Keaton

A few minutes later Spencer started working on his geographical profile and realized that with the pattern he was finding, it was like how he and Olivia would spend their date night. A short while later he heard Hotch and Detective Keaton's footsteps.

"Wow." said Detective Keaton

"What did you find?" asked Hotch

Detective Keaton looked at Hotch and noticed that he wasn't even shocked at his young agent's geographical profile.

"Well, date night is very important to this unsub." said Spencer

"He goes on dates?" asked Detective Keaton

"No, but his victims do, and the unsub knows that. Brian and Melissa Cain were abducted on a Saturday night. Their last known credit card purchase was at an ice cream shop they regularly frequent." said Spencer as he pointed at the locations he plotted "Paul and Elizabeth Garrett had a standing matinee they went to every Sunday. They were abducted in the early evening, most likely on the way to their car." said Spencer

"He stalks them and learns their routines." said Hotch

"Picks couples-oriented activities as his moment to strike. Seeing them happy could enrage him." said Spencer as he thought about how happy he and Olivia are when they have a date night

"It gives him the upper hand. They're focused on each other. They don't see him coming." said Hotch

"OK, then, but how does he get them both into the car?" asked Detective Keaton

* * *

Spencer and Alex gently broke the news to Dennis Hammond that his wife was murdered as they thought about their significant others back in Washington DC.

"Oh, God." sobbed Dennis

"Uh, Mr. Hammond, if you want, we can do this at the station." said Alex gently

"No. No, what do you need to know?" asked Dennis

"Can you explain why it took you two days to file a missing persons report on Mary?" asked Spencer

"I was traveling. I didn't know." said Dennis

"You didn't check in with your wife?" asked Alex

"We'd been fighting." said Dennis

"About what?" asked Alex

"We have a standing Thursday night dinner at our favorite restaurant. Last Thursday my boss told me I had to stay in Cleveland through the weekend. But I didn't get around to telling her that... Till later that night." said Dennis

"When she went to the restaurant by herself." clarified Alex

"Yeah." said Dennis

Alex walked away and Spencer stayed with Dennis.

* * *

The next morning during breakfast, Spencer's cellphone rang. He saw that it was Olivia and wondered if he should have stayed behind since Olivia's now 34 weeks pregnant.

"It's time?" asked Spencer as he gained looks from Hotch, JJ, Morgan, Rossi, and Alex

"I'm not in labor, but I'm so tired of being pregnant." sobbed Olivia

Spencer shook his head to let his teammates know that it's a false alarm before speaking up.

"Livy.." said Spencer

"Don't 'Livy' me." snapped Olivia

Spencer realized that Olivia was hormonal at the moment, and he inwardly realized that he was glad he wasn't home or Olivia would be throwing stuff at him.

"Albert and Ava will be born when they are ready to be born." said Spencer as calmly as he could

"Well until they are born, I am hiding all the coffee that you have stashed at home." snapped Olivia before hanging up

Spencer shook his head as he pocketed his phone and noticed the stares that his teammates were giving him.

"It's a false alarm. Olivia's extremely hormonal right now since she's tired of being pregnant." said Spencer

"How far is she now?" asked Rossi

"34 weeks, and Piper was born at 34 weeks." said Spencer

"How much did Piper weigh when she was born?" asked Rossi

Spencer quickly flashed back to a few minutes after Piper's birth when he supervised her getting her first examination.

"Piper was five pounds four ounces and 19 inches long, and as of Olivia's last appointment Livy and I found out that Albert weighs about five pounds and Ava weighs about four pounds ten ounces." said Spencer

"Makes sense that she carries them a bit longer or they will need to spend time in the NICU." said JJ

"I know, and I know that I am the target of her pregnancy hormones since I'm her husband." said Spencer

JJ looked at Spencer.

"Give her some time to calm down before calling her back." said JJ

"Already planning on it, and I am planning on buying her some flowers just to be safe." said Spencer before looking at Morgan "I hope you're not going to tease me about having to deal with Olivia's pregnancy hormones right now." said Spencer

"I'm not going to kid, but I agree that you should get her flowers." said Morgan

* * *

"Based on the ages of the victims, we believe that the unsub is a 30- 40-year-old white male from Grosse Pointe." said Hotch

"Up until now he's been an equal opportunity, anger retaliatory sadist." said Spencer

"Which is fancy talk for he hates the husbands as much as the wives." translated Rossi

"Most likely because his own marriage failed in a humiliating way and his wife left him for a man she may be engaged or even already married to." said Spencer

"But a major shift happened with Mary Hammond. He wasn't able to kidnap the husband, but he needed someone to cut her." said Morgan

"So his M. O. was forced to evolve. We believe he's abducted the sixth victim, a man, probably someone who reminds him of his own failed marriage." said JJ

"And he's keeping number 6 alive so he can repeat the process with Emma Churchill." said Alex

"Number 6 could be a surrogate for the ex-wife's new husband or actually be the new husband." said Rossi

"Which is why the fastest way to find this unsub is through this most recent unknown victim. We need missing person reports for all men in Grosse Pointe and Detroit as soon as possible." said Spencer

"Even though number 6 was forced to kill Mary Hammond, he may find it easier to cross that line with Emma Churchill." finished Hotch

* * *

While JJ, Hotch, and Morgan were outside, Spencer's cellphone rang and he saw that it was Olivia calling.

"Is everything OK?" asked Spencer

"I'm sorry for snapping at you earlier." cried Olivia

"I know that your pregnancy hormones are worse this time around so I'm not upset about you snapping at me at all." said Spencer

"Someone wants to say hi to you." said Olivia as Maeve brought Piper over to Olivia and she put her phone on speaker as Maeve walked away to give Olivia and Piper some privacy "Daddy's on the phone."

"Hi Daddy." said Piper

"Hey there Piper. You having fun with Maeve, Bobby, and Andrea while mommy rests?" asked Spencer

"Ya." said Piper

At that moment Hotch came over to Spencer.

"I have to go, and I will try to talk to you two girls later. Love you two girls." said Spencer

"Love ya Daddy." said Piper

"Love you Spencer." said Olivia before hanging up

Spencer looked at Hotch.

"What's up?" asked Spencer

"You're going to join me with convincing three CEOs to give us the information that the unsub deleted from the GPSs in the victims cars." said Hotch

"You think my PhD in engineering can be put to use?" asked Spencer

"Yes, and I was hoping that you could use your eyes too." said Hotch

Spencer looked at Hotch in shock.

"Did you just make a joke?" asked Spencer

"Let's get going since the AG is making arrangements for us to meet with them." said Hotch

* * *

Spencer and Hotch entered the room where three CEOs were sitting.

"I'm Agent Hotchner, and this is Dr. Reid." said Hotch as he and Spencer sat down

"What can we do for you?" asked one of the CEOs

Hotch started explaining what he and Spencer needed from them.

"Agent Hotchner, what you're asking for is extremely sensitive." said one of the CEOs

"We're asking for you to cooperate with a federal investigation." said Hotch

"You're presuming that the 3 different car companies represented in this room track our drivers via their GPS. That's a bold presumption." said another CEO

Spencer leaned forward a bit while folding his hands on the table in front of him, knowing that this is the time his PhD in engineering will come to use.

"Actually, it's not bold, and we're presuming nothing. When customers access their GPS for the first time, they go to a "terms and conditions" screen. They scroll to the bottom, they click the box that says "agree" so they can start using it. They don't realize they've just agreed to allowing their car to communicate its entire driving history with your corporate headquarters. For research purposes only, of course. The only reason these people agree to share this information with you is because they don't take the time to read the fine print. But I do." said Spencer as he used his eyes on the CEOs

The CEOs realized that Spencer had a point.

"Ahem. We'll, uh- we'll need to consult with risk management." said one of the CEOs

"We don't have time for lawyers. A woman's life is on the line and we need an answer now." said Hotch

* * *

A few hours later Spencer and Alex were on the way to Phillip Connor's mother's house, and Spencer's phone vibrated. He couldn't help but smile at the new photo Olivia sent him of Piper playing with Andrea.

"A new picture of Piper?" asked Alex

"Yeah, and Piper's playing with Andrea in the picture since Olivia asked Maeve and Bobby to stay with her while I am here with you guys." said Spencer

"That's nice of the Putnams to help Olivia out." said Alex

"Olivia doesn't want me to start paternity leave yet, and Maeve and Bobby owed us a favor since we babysat Andrea for them." said Spencer

At that moment Alex's phone gave a text message alert tone, and Spencer looked at Alex who was driving.

"You don't want me to-?" asked Spencer as he pointed at Alex's phone

"No." said Alex

As Spencer heard Alex's tone, he stayed silent for a few seconds before speaking.

"You want to talk about what's bothering you?" asked Spencer

"No. Nothing's bothering me." said Alex as she realized that she's with a profiler who could use his eyes to get her to talk

"Something's bothering you. I can always tell when you're bothered because you whisper lyrics to yourself. Hip hop specifically. I thought it was odd at first, but then I remembered your dissertation was on the fluidity of metaphor. You seem to have a particular fondness for Nas." said Spencer

"Wow. How did you know?" asked Alex with a smile on her face

"Morgan made me listen to it when we started working together. He said anybody that can't quote "illmatic" is ignorant. So... Do you want to talk about it?" asked Spencer as he worked his eyes on Alex

"Oh. The text, it's from my husband." said Alex

"Is that a bad thing?" asked Spencer as he thought of the text messages Olivia sends him

"He just wants to know if I've thought about his offer." said Alex

"What offer?" asked Spencer

Alex sighed realizing that Spencer wasn't going to let her keep what's going on from him.

"To teach with him at Harvard." said Alex

"How would you tea-" said Spencer as he realized that Alex would need to leave the BAU and relocate closer to Cambridge, Massachusetts "Oh."

"Yeah." said Alex

"Tough call. What do you think you're gonna do?" asked Spencer as he realized that with how comfortable he is working with Alex, he doesn't want her to leave

"When we got married, part of the attraction was that we were both obsessed with our work, and for a while that was OK." said Alex

"Yeah, the last time we talked about it, you seemed to prefer it." said Spencer

"Oh, not anymore. I don't like going home to an empty house." said Alex

At that moment Spencer realized that Alex passed their destination.

"May I offer some advice?" asked Spencer

"Sure." said Alex

"We need to turn around. You just passed the house." said Spencer

"Oh." said Alex as she turned around

As soon as they got to the correct house, Spencer decided that he needed to reveal some personal things before they go talk to Mrs. Connor.

"That's not the advice, though. Blake, for the last 10 years, this job has been my life. I consider the budget cuts that were announced two years ago a blessing since the stress related migraines I was dealing made me take that sabbatical which caused Olivia to enter my life. So, work... There's always work, and there will always be work. What's rare is finding someone who makes us happy." said Spencer

"Both Olivia and Piper do make you happy." said Alex

"And I can't wait for Albert and Ava to make me happy too." said Spencer

"And Albert and Ava are going to be lucky to have you as their father since you're already a great father." said Alex as she and Spencer exited the SUV

A few minutes later they were talking to Agatha Connor.

"Yes, my son went to that track." said Agatha

"Did he ever talk about who he met there, maybe someone who took a particular interest in him and Maya?" asked Spencer

Agatha sighed as she looked at some pictures.

"Mrs. Connor?" asked Alex

"He didn't go there to exercise. He went there to watch Maya." said Agatha

"Why would he watch his own wife?" asked Alex

"After they married, Phillip started to get, uh... funny. He kept saying to me, if she cheated with me, she'll cheat on me, Mom." said Agatha

"Did she cheat on him?" asked Spencer

"No. But she had had enough. They're not divorced, but they are separated. And I can't say I blame her." said Agatha as she motioned to a picture of her son "My son is sick. He enjoys being sick. It makes people pay attention to him." said Agatha

"We need to talk to Maya as soon as possible. Do you have her phone number?" asked Spencer

"Uh...yeah. I'll go get my cell phone." said Agatha as she got up

"Wait. Your son's sickness- does he cut himself?" asked Alex

"H-how did you know?" stuttered Agatha

Spencer and Alex nodded at each other to let the other know that they had the same suspicion about Phillip being the unsub.

* * *

Spencer looked at John.

"Emma is safe. So let's have you greet your wife." said Spencer as he led John to the area where Alex wanted him to bring John

"John." sobbed Emma

Spencer and Alex watched the crying married couple hugging each other and Spencer looked at Alex.

"You've made up your mind, haven't you?" asked Spencer

Alex nodded as she thought of the sweet moments she witnessed between Spencer and Olivia.

"I'm happy for you." said Spencer

"Let's go home to our significant others, Spencer." said Alex

"I told Olivia that James is back, and she is insisting that you and he come over for dinner." said Spencer as they walked to an SUV

"I will let him know about the dinner invitation." said Alex

* * *

Spencer grinned when he heard the doorbell rang and looked at Olivia who was sitting down.

"I got it." said Spencer as he scooped up Piper and settled her on his hip

A minute later he was letting James and Alex into the house.

"Welcome back, James." said Spencer as he shook hands with James

"It's good to be back Spencer, and you have gotten so big since the last time I saw you, Piper." said James as he smiled at the nearly 11 month old baby girl

"Hi." said Piper as she waved at James before shyly burying her face in her daddy's neck

"You definitely have a Daddy's girl there." said James as he and Alex entered the house and removed their shoes

"She will warm up to you, and dinner should be done in 15 minutes so please go sit down." said Spencer as he handed Piper to Alex who was motioning him to hand Piper over

"You have gotten so big since the last time I saw you, Piper." cooed Alex as she settled Piper on her hip and led James to the living room

James smiled at Olivia.

"You look like you're about to give birth." said James as he gave Olivia a gentle hug before watching Alex play with Piper "How far are you now?" asked James

"34 weeks." said Olivia

James started asking Olivia questions about her pregnancy, and 12 minutes later Spencer came into the living room.

"Dinner is done." said Spencer as he helped Olivia off the couch

"What did you make?" asked Alex

"I made beef stew, rice, and a salad." said Spencer

"Spencer had me stay in the living room the entire time." grumbled Olivia as she waddled into the dining room where the table was already set

"Dr. Carter wants you to stay off your feet as much as possible." said Spencer as he helped Olivia sit down on top of a pillow as Alex got Piper into her high chair

"Is Piper going to eat some?" asked Alex

"She's old enough to eat beef and rice." said Spencer as he started spooning some baby size portions of beef stew and rice onto a plate for Piper before looking at Olivia "I will feed Piper while I eat."

A few minutes later everyone was eating and James looked at Spencer.

"This is delicious." said James

"Thanks, but sometimes I think that Olivia's a better cook." said Spencer as he took a sip of his water

Olivia looked at her husband.

"Don't sell yourself short Spencer. It seems like Albert and Ava are appreciating your cooking like I do." said Olivia as she rubbed her belly

An hour later James was doing the dishes at his insistence as Olivia headed upstairs for a nap while Spencer and Alex played with Piper and Spencer decided to continue the conversation they had in Detroit.

"When I was engaged to Olivia, I was thinking about leaving the FBI and teaching at Georgetown so I could work a safer job while having normal hours." said Spencer as he watched Piper toddle over to Einstein who was sprawled out on his back on the floor

"But you realized that you couldn't give up the life you were living since you were 21." said Alex

"I realized that after the Zodiac copycat killer case. I know that I could make millions by working for the private sector, but I can never regret attending Gideon's lecture at Cal-tech that caused the FBI to recruit me." said Spencer

"I'm glad that the FBI waived the age requirement for you." said Alex

"I am too, but it's no secret that I still get a lot of job offers." said Spencer

"Where do you get job offers from?" asked Alex

"Harvard, Yale, Georgetown, Cal-tech, MIT, NSA, CIA, Pentagon, think tanks, private sectors, other units in the FBI, and many other places." said Spencer

"You're on everyone's wish list." said Alex

"I know, and I can't wait to see what Piper, Albert, and Ava decide to do with their lives when they graduate from college." said Spencer

"Do you think that they will want to become FBI agents like you?" asked Alex

"I hope that they don't follow my footsteps and join the FBI." said Spencer

"What if they want to get PhDs in mathematics like you and Olivia?" asked Alex

"If they end up being math geniuses, I am going to make sure that they don't go to Harvard where they would end up taking the highest level math class and being employed by the NSA since the government would consider them too dangerous to work anywhere else." said Spencer

"So that's why you didn't pick Harvard for college." said Alex

"That's one of the reasons, but I chose Cal-tech because of some of the professors I wanted to study with were there while being one state over from Las Vegas." said Spencer

Piper toddled over to her father and made a sign saying that she's tired.

"Well, let's go give you your bath before putting you to bed." said Spencer as he got off the floor, swooped Piper up and held out his hand to help Alex get off the floor

"Thanks Spencer." said Alex

"You're welcome." said Spencer

"Well, I am going to check on James and see if he's ready to go." said Alex

James came into the living room and looked at Alex.

"Ready to go home?" asked James when he noticed that Piper looked tired

"Yeah." said Alex

Spencer looked at Alex and James.

"Olivia and I appreciate you two coming over for dinner tonight." said Spencer as he settled Piper onto his hip

"Well, I am going to be settling in Boston over the next few weeks, but I am planning on coming down here after Albert and Ava are born." said James

"I will send you some pictures." said Spencer

"You should probably give Piper her bath before she falls asleep on you." said James as he noticed Piper's eyes drooping

"I probably should, and I am thinking about having Piper sleep with Olivia and I." said Spencer as he opened the door for Alex and James

"I will see you at work Spencer." said Alex before looking at Piper "You be good for your mommy and daddy, Piper."

Spencer looked at Piper.

"Can you say goodbye to Alex and James?" asked Spencer

At that moment Piper started waving at Alex and James.

"Buh." said Piper

"Bye there, cutie." said James as he kissed Piper's forehead before Alex did the same thing and walked out

After Spencer armed the security system while making sure that the doors and windows were locked and Einstein went to the bathroom, he looked at Piper.

"What do you say about having a bath before you sleep with mommy and me." said Spencer

Piper squealed in excitement at the idea of sleeping with her parents.

20 minutes later Spencer and Piper were in bed with Olivia as Piper slept on top of her daddy's chest.


	36. Uncle Gordon Comes to Visit and 8x23

Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds

 _A/N: Shout out to OhSnapItsMadison, Hippichic81, tannrose5, Mrs. JaganshiReidofHufflepuff, and snowdrop65 for reviewing chapter 35._

 _When watching the latest episode Surface Tension (My heart broke for Spencer during the episode), I was surprised to find out that Spencer has an uncle that he never mentioned before that he's in contact with! So the latest new episode helped inspire me some scenes for this chapter since I was dealing with some writers block. And I am going to have it that Spencer's uncle Gordon is Diana's twin brother which is why Spencer and Olivia are expecting twins._

 _Depending on how this latest story arc is going during the second half of season 12, I might make changes when I get to the season 11 and season 12 story line of my Love Takes Away the Pain Series (It's going to be awhile since I have to finish up season 8 and do seasons nine, ten, and 11 for this series) since the caretaker would tell Spencer and Olivia that having Diana live with them wouldn't be safe for Piper, Albert, Ava, and a future Baby Reid especially since Diana slapped Spencer in the latest episode and I could picture the Reid children getting scared if they saw their grandmother slap their daddy._

 _Now it's time for me to stop rambling so you can read chapter 36._

* * *

Spencer was sitting at his desk working on paperwork when he heard a voice that he has talked to through Skype and phone calls since Piper's Christening.

"I see that my favorite nephew hasn't even realized that I am standing a few feet in front of him." said a male voice

Spencer lifted his head in shock when he noticed his uncle Gordon standing a few feet from him, causing him to get up and make his way over to his uncle.

"I'm your only nephew, uncle Gordon." said Spencer as he hugged his uncle despite the audience that was watching the reunion "When did you get back from Germany?"

"I got off the plane at Dulles today, and I called Olivia and asked her if you were on a case. When she told me you were here, I decided to surprise you here while hoping to hold my great niece for the first time since Piper's Christening. And I can't miss the births of my new great niece and great nephew within in a few weeks." said Gordon as he looked at the photos of Piper on Spencer's desk "I appreciate you sending me all those photos and videos of Piper, and she reminds me of how you were when you were her age."

"Mom and dad have told me that Piper reminds them so much of me when I was her age, and I can't believe that she's already 11 months old." said Spencer

"And you remind me so much of my twin sister when it comes to intelligence, even though you are a perfect combination of both Diana and William." said Gordon

At that moment Hotch decided to alert Spencer to his presence since he and Rossi were standing by the railing, watching the reunion.

"Reid, how about you take the rest of the day off and catch up with your uncle." said Hotch

Spencer turned his head to see Hotch and Rossi standing by the railing.

"Are you sure, Hotch?" asked Spencer

"You haven't seen your uncle since Piper's Christening and security called me to tell me that your uncle was on his way up." said Hotch

Spencer looked at Hotch as he started to pack up.

"Thanks, and Olivia's hoping that everyone can come over for dinner tonight." said Spencer

"Jack and I will be there." said Hotch

"So will I." said Rossi as he thought about the first time he met Spencer's uncle when Spencer was recovering after getting shot in the knee

"Will, Henry, and I will be there." said JJ before looking at Gordon "Would you mind telling us more stories about Spence as a child?"

"I have a few in mind." said Gordon

"Let's get going, Uncle Gordon." said Spencer

"I will tell the others know about tonight." said JJ

An hour later Spencer and Gordon entered the Reid family home, and Spencer smiled when he saw Olivia watching TV as she snacked on jello while Piper played with one of her toys.

"Guess who surprised me at work." said Spencer

Piper turned her head and squealed when she saw her daddy.

"Daddy!" exclaimed Piper as she worked on standing up before toddling over to her daddy who scooped her up

"Hey Gordon." said Olivia

"Just stay seated and I will come over and give you a hug." said Gordon as he made his way over to Olivia "You're looking beautiful Olivia." said Gordon as he hugged Olivia

"Thanks." said Olivia

"And I have a feeling you have been told many times over the past few weeks that you look like you're about to pop." said Gordon

"Everyone is telling me that, and it's yours and Diana's fault that I am expecting twins." said Olivia

"Well, Spencer always knew that twins run in the family." said Gordon

Spencer made his way over to his uncle with Piper in his arms.

"Please hand Piper over to me." said Gordon

At that moment Spencer passed Piper to his uncle.

"Hi there Piper. I'm your daddy's Uncle Gordon, and I haven't seen you since your Christening." said Gordon

"Hi." said Piper

"You definitely have some of your daddy's looks from when he was your age." said Gordon as he stroked Piper's curly hair

* * *

A few hours later Gordon, Spencer, Olivia, Piper, Spencer's teammates, and Will were sitting on the patio watching Jack and Henry play with Einstein in the backyard while Piper sat on her father's lap playing with a stuffed clown that her great uncle gave her earlier.

"Can you please tell us some stories about Reid as a child?" asked Morgan

Gordon looked at the clown, causing him to think about Spencer's first trip to the circus and the aftermath.

"When Spencer was barely four years old, Diana took him to the circus for the first time. He was impressed watching the tightrope walkers and exclaimed that he wanted to be a tightrope walker when he grew up." said Gordon

Everyone started laughing at the idea of Spencer being a tightrope walker since they've seen him deal with clumsy moments.

"I thought that I wanted to be a magician?" asked Spencer

"That was a few years later when I took you to your first magic show when Diana had to spend a few days in the hospital getting her medication adjusted." said Gordon as he took a hold of his nephew's hand and showed Spencer the scar "You got this scar when you were trying to make your way across the top of the backyard fence, and a few hours later a hysteric Diana called to tell me that you ended up with a broken wrist that caused you to have minor surgery which caused your parents to find out that you're allergic to beta-lactams. But after your wrist healed, you were still adventurous like you are today since you picked a career choice I never thought you would pick." said Gordon

Olivia looked at her husband.

"It's a given that Piper has inherited my balance." said Olivia smugly

"But all those months on crutches and going to physical therapy over three years ago helped improve my balance." shot back Spencer

JJ looked at Olivia.

"When do you see Dr. Carter again?" asked JJ

"Tomorrow morning." said Olivia as she started to talk to JJ about Henry and Piper

Hotch looked at Spencer.

"Are you still going?" asked Hotch quietly

"I am because Dr. Carter is wanting to talk about putting Olivia on bed rest, and we are going to try and see if she can spend the next couple of weeks on bed rest here." said Spencer

Gordon looked at his nephew.

"How about I stay here with Piper while you two are at the doctor's office." said Gordon

"That would be great." said Spencer

* * *

The next day Spencer entered Hotch's office and saw Hotch smile before getting off the phone.

"How was Olivia's doctor appointment?" asked Hotch

"Olivia's starting bed rest at home today." said Spencer

"Do you want to start paternity leave yet?" asked Hotch

"Olivia doesn't want me to start paternity leave yet, and uncle Gordon told me that I should just go to work and he will take care of Olivia and Piper." said Spencer

"But as soon as she's in labor, you're officially starting paternity leave." said Hotch

"I know." said Spencer

* * *

Later on that evening, Spencer was sitting at the round table with Rossi, Garcia, Alex, JJ, Morgan, and Strauss while they Skyped with Hotch about the case that Sean's involved in.

"And the M. E. reports showed 3 other victims bleeding out over the last week." said Hotch

"Yeah. One in Harlem, two in the Village, all 5 of them categorized as Ecstasy overdoses." said Garcia as she showed her teammates pictures of the victims

"And one of the victims may have been drugged without her knowledge." said Hotch

"Ecstasy is frequently used as a date rape drug, but I've never seen it cause bleeding like this." said Rossi

"Could it be a bad batch?" asked Strauss

"Well, uh, according to the M. E., the victims had so much MDMA in their systems that it caused their internal body temperature to go out of control. They boiled from the inside out." said a grossed out Garcia

"That's not typical of overdose victims either. We could be looking at product tampering, similar to the Tylenol cyanide poisoning in '86." said Rossi

"And the working theory in that case was that the unsub targeted a specific victim but dosed mass quantities to cover his tracks." said Hotch

"So you're telling me these deaths could just be the start." said Strauss

"Yes, ma'am. I'd like the team to join me in New York as soon as possible." said Hotch

"We're on our way, Aaron." said Rossi

"Thanks." said Hotch before shutting down the feed

Rossi looked at Strauss.

"You're coming, aren't you?" asked Rossi

"Just as a precaution. This team tends to go rogue when loved ones are involved." said Strauss before looking at Spencer "How far is Olivia?"

"35 weeks pregnant, and she's not showing signs of labor yet." said Spencer

"You want to stay behind?" asked Strauss

"I'm coming with since my PhD in chemistry can be put to good use, and uncle Gordon is staying with Olivia, Piper, and I for a few weeks since Olivia's on bed rest at home." said Spencer

"But if you get a phone call about Olivia ending up in labor, I am pulling you off the case and sending you back to Washington." said Strauss

"Yes ma'am." said Spencer

* * *

"This is more than product tampering. This is mass murder." said Morgan

"Overdosing certainly seems like a hard sell now." said Rossi

"How is he taking out experienced partiers and non-drug users at the same time?" asked Strauss

"He has to be dosing his victims without their knowledge somehow." said Alex

"Ecstasy can be made in pill, powder, and liquid form. It wouldn't be that hard to slip something into someone's drink or to convince them the pill they're taking is safe." said Spencer

"So even regular users might not know they're being dosed until it's too late." said JJ

"Why kill in such a graphic manner?" asked Strauss

"Well, he gets off on the spectacle. It's not just about the victims with this guy. It's about the witnesses. He incites fear." said JJ

"Which means the unsub is desperate for attention, and he wants all eyes on his work because he craves recognition." said Alex

"He'll be paying close attention to the media, then. It allows him to relive his crimes." said Rossi

"You know, the medium of his kill is interesting. He's picking a drug that's known for its euphoric effect. It's like he wants to take that happiness away." said Spencer

"Well, it can't be a coincidence that the majority of his victims are known drug users. He's taking the law into his own hands." said Morgan

"But what about the two who were clean? Linda Heying and Erik Sullivan's families insist they never touched the stuff." said Alex

"Either the victims are good at hiding the truth or the unsub's killing for another reason. We should take a closer look and see how they're connected." said Rossi

* * *

Spencer was interviewing one of the witnesses in the club where the latest deaths happened.

"It's the drug." said one of the ravers

"Did you and your friends take the same pills?" asked Spencer

"Yeah. But it wasn't pills. It was liquid X." said the raver

Spencer crossed his arms.

"I'm just trying to understand why the drug killed your friends and not you. Did they take a lot more than you?" asked Spencer as the boy stayed silent "Why was that?"

"They had more money." said the raver

"Why would you want more doses? I mean, it appears that the drug had its intended effect." said Spencer

"Eventually, yeah. But it took forever and the others didn't want to wait." said the raver

"How long does it normally take?" asked Spencer

"An hour, maybe. But is stuff was different. It took nearly double that." said the raver

"So your friends bought more doses, thinking the batch they'd taken was weak. How much more did they take? Do you know?" asked Spencer

"Two vials, each." said the raver

"Do you think you'd be able to describe the person you bought the Ecstasy from?" asked Spencer

"Don't have to. He's right over there." said the raver as he pointed at the dead body being bagged

"Thanks." said Spencer before walking over to JJ and Morgan who were walking over to him "The delayed onset of the drug caused the victims to OD themselves."

"Well, that explains why the victims boiled. The higher the dose, the higher the heat." said Morgan

"Maybe it was designed that way. According to the M. E. Report, the Ecstasy was cut with a high volume of methamphetamine." said JJ as Morgan called Garcia

"Go for greatness." said Garcia

"Hey, baby girl. I need you to run a search on delayed onset MDMA. Meth amphetamine mixtures. See if you can find anything about-" said Morgan before Garcia interrupted

"Whoa?" asked Garcia

"What?" asked JJ

"Double oh to the whoa to the oh whoa power. There's a drug called para-methox...ish..." said Garcia as she had trouble pronouncing

"Para-methoxymethamphetamine?" asked Spencer

"Yes. What you just said. PMMA for short. It just hit the international market. Its street name, which I'm not making up, is Doctor Death. So coined because the drug keeps killing people. Apparently it's produced with such a huge percentage of meth, it masks the effects of the Ecstasy until the user's already taken too much." said Garcia

"MDMA costs more to make than methamphetamine, so it's common practice to mix the two in creating Ecstasy in order to maximize the profit margins." said Spencer

"Like watering down liquor, except in this case, the water kills you." said JJ

"So is this PMMA coming straight from the manufacturer, or is our unsub altering the drug supply to make it more lethal?" asked Morgan

* * *

Spencer was watching a crime scene tech dusting a glass while thinking about the pre-teen girl whose parents died in front of her when Rossi entered the room.

"Ecstasy isn't exactly an appetizer." said Rossi

"You know, Kimberly Sullivan said she and her brother were drinking wine the night he died." said Spencer

Rossi took a look at the bottle.

"It's almost empty." said Rossi

Spencer reached for the kit that the crime scene tech brought.

"Do you mind? Thanks." said Spencer

Spencer extracted some of the wine from the glass and squeezed it into one of the test tubes, causing the liquid in the tube to turn blue.

"The unsub wants to increase his body count. He doesn't care who he hurts." said Spencer

* * *

Spencer was alone in the conference room with Strauss when his phone rang and he saw that it was Olivia, causing him to quickly answer.

"It's time?" asked Spencer as Strauss looked at him

"No, but Piper wants to hear your voice before she and I take a nap together while Uncle Gordon is taking Einstein for a walk." said Olivia as she laid in bed with Piper

Spencer sighed in relief before smiling.

"Put her on then." said Spencer as he put his phone on speaker so Strauss could hear

"Say hi to Daddy." said Olivia

"Hi Daddy." said Piper

Strauss couldn't hide her smile when she heard Piper's voice and the smile that was showing on Spencer's face as he talked to Piper.

"You being good for mommy and Uncle Gordon?" asked Spencer

"Ya." said Piper

"Are you about to take a nap?" asked Spencer

"I go seepy wit mommy." said Piper

"You want me to tell you and your mommy a story?" asked Spencer

"Ya." said Piper

"Just make one up Spencer." said Olivia

"I think I have a story in mind." said Spencer

"Then please tell us." said Olivia

Spencer took a deep breath and started telling his story to Piper.

"Two years ago there was a lonely knight who decided that he needed a change of scenery for a few months, so he decided to go to teach chemistry at Cal-tech. While he was sitting in a coffee shop planning on what to teach future chemists, he met a beautiful lady who thought that the lonely knight could use a friend and they ended up talking for hours before the knight walked the fair lady home and decided to ask her if he could court her. The knight and the lady enjoyed getting to know each other for a few months before the knight had to go back home and luckily the beautiful lady decided to follow him. And before the knight had to go back to his duties, he decided to ask the lady to become his wife. Two weeks later the knight and his lady married in front of the knight's parents.." said Spencer before Olivia interrupted him

"Piper fell asleep." said Olivia as she wiped a few tears that fell when Spencer was telling she and Piper a story

Spencer turned his phone off speaker and put it by his ear.

"Good." said Spencer

"You might as well write a short story with drawings since I knew that you were telling Piper about our first meeting two years ago and in a few years Piper, Albert, and Ava are going to ask us how we met. But I did enjoy how you decided to have you be a knight while I am the knight's lady." said Olivia

"I think I will take your suggestion into consideration milady, but I have to get back to my knightly duties so I can finish the quest and I can come back to you, our holy grail, and our belching dragon." said Spencer causing Olivia to giggle

Strauss couldn't help hide the small smile on her face as she heard Spencer's side of the banter that he and Olivia were exchanging.

"I love you my handsome knight and please stay safe." said Olivia

"I love you too milady and I promise to come back to our castle safe." said Spencer before hanging up

Strauss looked at Spencer.

"You are very sweet to Olivia." said Strauss

Spencer's face heated up.

"I remember what's its like to be young and in love, and you are so in love with Olivia." said Strauss

"I know, and I am glad that I took that sabbatical." said Spencer

"When you mentioned the belching dragon, were you talking about your dog?" asked Strauss as she thought about how Einstein burped out loud when she joined the team to check on Spencer after his tonsillectomy

"Yeah." said Spencer

* * *

Spencer got out of the car as Hotch made his way over to he and Morgan.

"Thanks." said Morgan as he got off the phone "The crash didn't kill him. Someone poured PMMA down his nose and throat."

"The drug aside, this is a completely different M. O. He's no longer content to sit back and watch. Why?" asked Spencer

"The overkill seems personal. Whoever did this had a definite grudge against Peters." said Morgan

"Garcia's running background and financial records on Sean." said Hotch

"Hotch, you don't think you're overreacting?" asked Morgan as Spencer glanced at both Hotch and Morgan

"He left the Edinburgh for a reason. We need to know why." said Hotch

"You can't actually think that he did this?" asked Morgan

"I don't, but I can't eliminate the possibility until I know what he's hiding." said Hotch

"Maybe we should look at this another way. We know Thane was responsible for dosing the wine. That was his own plan, not the unsub's. So how would a sociopath seeking recognition for his achievements handle someone interfering with his work?" asked Spencer

"He'd put a stop to it." said Morgan before looking at the body "Any way he could."

"That was after the Hatchitt parents were killed. As innocent victims, they were the deviation." said Hotch

"So we were wrong. The unsub does care who dies." said Morgan

"Instead of targeting Thane, the unsub went after Peters. He held him responsible." said Spencer

"He may hold Peters responsible for more than Thane's actions. I'm gonna have Garcia dig into his life." said Morgan

"In the meantime, we'll use that to find out what we can." said Hotch before Morgan walked away

* * *

Spencer looked at his watch as he and Morgan approached Mr. Beaird who was opening up his store.

"How do you expect to stay in business if you open 20 minutes late every day?" asked Spencer

"I got a hangover. What is it to you?" asked Mr. Beaird

Morgan showed his badge to Mr. Beaird.

"We'd like to talk to you about your inventory." said Morgan

"We pulled your shipping orders, Mr. Beaird. It appears you're selling more product than you're taking in." said Spencer

"Don't you guys have anything better to do than to harass an old shopkeeper?" asked Mr. Beaird

"Yes, actually we do, so can we not waste any time? Where do you get your extra goods?" asked Morgan

"Private donations." said Mr. Beaird

"Do those donors include employees of local establishments?" asked Spencer

"Look, sometimes a guy nicks a bottle or the supplies from his place of employment and brings it to me. If I can sell it, I take it off his hands at a bargain price." said Mr. Beaird

"Does that include cases of wine?" asked Morgan

"Yeah. I bought one a couple of weeks ago. Funny thing. The guy came back yesterday and paid the full price for what was left. Strange fellow." said Mr. Beaird

Spencer and Morgan exchanged glances.

* * *

Spencer and Morgan got out of the SUV at Franklin Airport, and Morgan looked at Spencer who was securing his vest.

"Since there's two ways to get into the room, we each block an entrance." said Morgan

"Got it." said Spencer

A few minutes later Spencer and Morgan were approaching the room that Larry was in.

"Larry Feretich?" asked Morgan

Larry looked up and realized that he was caught.

"FBI." said Morgan

Larry looked in the other direction and noticed Spencer coming towards him, causing him to quickly try to escape by pushing a luggage cart towards Morgan before making his way over to Spencer, and Spencer quickly grabbed a packed suitcase and used it to knock Larry over before putting his knee on Larry's back.

"Larry Feretich, you're under arrest for the murder of." said Spencer as he and Morgan hauled up Larry.

"He killed my daughter! He killed Megan!" shouted Larry

"No, he didn't. A drug killed your daughter." said Spencer as he handcuffed Larry

"No, it was Jim Peters. I said so, but no one would listen." said Larry

A few minutes later Spencer and Morgan were in the SUV heading back to the police department, and Morgan looked at Spencer who got off the phone with Olivia.

"Nice take down." said Morgan

"Thanks." said Spencer

* * *

Spencer and Morgan entered the room and Morgan looked at JJ and Rossi.

"Larry pushed a luggage cart at me before making his way over to Reid, and Reid uses a packed suitcase to take him down." said Morgan

"I bet Larry realized that he shouldn't judge a book by its cover." said Rossi

"I think so too." said Spencer

"Well, let's pack up before heading to the hotel so we can all get some sleep before heading home tomorrow." said Rossi

As they were gathering their belongings, Hotch entered the room looking at his agents.

"The Replicator is in New York City right now, and I recalled the security details to come back to our homes. We need to pick up Strauss and Blake." said Hotch as he started to give orders, not realizing that the Replicator already got one of their own


	37. The Replicator

Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds

 _A/N: Shout out to tannerose5, OhSnapItsMadison, and Chermayne for reviewing chapter 36._

* * *

Spencer was in the backseat of the SUV that Rossi was driving, and Spencer looked at Hotch and Rossi.

"I am going to call my uncle and let him know that there is a security detail coming to sit outside my house." said Spencer

"Quickly make that phone call before calling Blake." said Hotch

Spencer called his Uncle Gordon who answered on the first ring.

"I thought that you weren't coming home until tomorrow?" asked Gordon

"Something else came up." said Spencer

"Another case?" asked Gordon

"Remember a few weeks back I told you that my teammates and I are dealing with a stalker?" asked Spencer

"Yes." said Gordon

"Right now the stalker in New York City since there were pictures taken of my teammates and I during the last few days, and I thought that I should let you know there's going to be a security detail posted outside the house." said Spencer

"Should I tell Olivia?" asked Gordon as he started taking liberty of making sure that doors and windows were locked and the security system was armed

"Just tell her that my teammates and I were called in for another case, but she will probably figure out what's going on when she sees an agent sitting outside the house." said Spencer

"Just stay safe Spencer." said Gordon

"I will try, and I have to go and call Blake." said Spencer before hanging up and trying to get a hold of Alex

As he was trying to get a hold of Alex, Rossi was trying to get Strauss on the phone.

"Strauss isn't answering." said Rossi

"Keep trying." said Hotch before looking at Spencer "Reid, any luck with Blake?"

"Not yet." said Spencer as he tried again

"The pictures of you were taken outside of Beth's apartment. I get it if you want to stay with them until we find him." said Rossi

"I've got agents surrounding Beth's building. She and Jack are safer without me, since we're the targets." said Hotch

Spencer tried again and he was able to get Alex.

"Spencer?" asked Alex

"Blake, we'll pick you up in a few minutes. The Replicator's back." said Spencer before hanging up

* * *

Spencer, Alex, JJ, and Morgan approached Hotch all at the same time and Hotch looked at his agents.

"Strauss is missing. Blake, you and Reid talk to hotel security. We need access points and footage from every camera." said Hotch

Spencer and Alex followed Hotch's instructions while making sure they didn't split up.

* * *

Spencer, JJ, Morgan, and Alex were talking about what they found as Hotch talked to the Director.

"We've got an APB, but the description of the Replicator is too general." said JJ

"He wiped out all of the hotel security cameras. ATM and traffic cameras were compromised also. Which means he hacked into at least two dozen systems." said Spencer

"Well, he got into Garcia's place, which mean he can get in anywhere. This guy's bragging." said Morgan

"He also wants us to know he can take massive risks and still get away with it. It's probably why he took Strauss into a crowd of people." said Spencer

"That and to humiliate her publicly." said JJ

"But he called Hotch from her phone. It was important to him that we find her alive." said Alex as Hotch approached them

"The Director wants this contained and solved." said Hotch

"Well, at least he's not taking us off the case." said Morgan

"He's given us 24 hours and then he will." said Hotch before he approached Rossi, who was staring at Strauss's bagged body

"I'm taking her back to Bethesda. She never liked this city, Aaron. I'm not about to leave her." said Rossi

* * *

As they got settled for the flight back to Quantico, Hotch looked at his agents.

"The Director wants the news of Strauss's murder contained so no speaking to anyone about it when we get back or through phone calls." said Hotch

"So that means I shouldn't answer any phone calls from Olivia or my Uncle for the next 24 hours?" asked Spencer

"You probably shouldn't, just in case The Replicator is listening in on our phone calls." said Hotch

Everyone nodded at Hotch's answer.

* * *

As they were heading up to the bullpen, Alex looked at her team.

"He knew about Foyet?" asked JJ

"Who's that?" asked Alex as they exited the elevator

"He's the man who killed my wife." said Hotch

"That's a classified case that's not in any database." said Morgan as he thought about other cases that are classified, like the Tobias Hankel case to keep other agents and cadets from finding out that Spencer was the agent who got abducted by Hankel

"Then how would he know about it?" asked Alex

"If he had access to the file, we're talking about someone on the inside." said Spencer

"Conference room in 5." said Hotch

Five minutes later Spencer was in the conference room with Hotch, Morgan, Alex, JJ, and Garcia.

"Garcia, is this everything?" asked Hotch

"Yeah. The Replicator stuff is here, and the team stuff is there and there. How's Rossi?" asked Garcia

"Not good." said Morgan

"Is he with Strauss?" asked Garcia

"Yeah." said Morgan

"OK. Uh uh, I started with the question you asked why attack Strauss, and on this day?" asked Garcia

"The most obvious answer is that it's an anniversary of some sort." said Spencer

"But there's nothing historically relevant." said Garcia

"It could be the smallest thing. Concentrate on New York. If the date's that important, the setting could be, too." said Spencer

"It would be easier to attack Strauss at home. Is there a reason why he waited for her to be out?" asked JJ

"Well, considering she's hardly ever in the field, he sure got a lot of photos of Strauss. It's like he's obsessed with her." said Morgan

"Maybe Strauss was always his first target. He attacked the top of the BAU chain first." said Alex

"All right, Reid, you've matched up all the murder locations with the dates. Now we need to know how long it would take to drive to each of these locations, assuming a home base in the district. He brought the fight here for a reason." said Hotch

"Well, it's nearly impossible to figure out when he arrived and departed New York, but we should try." said Morgan

"I'll collect all the public and private transport stuff." said Garcia

"Garcia, I need Kevin to go through every single pixel of these photographs. This unsub gets off on taunting us. He's given us answers here. We just haven't found them yet." said Hotch as he looked at the board

* * *

Hotch showed his teammates a picture that Rossi sent him.

"Dave, a figure 8?" asked Hotch as he set his phone on the table

"That's what it looks like. I just sent you all a picture." said Rossi through the speaker

"Maybe it's an infinity symbol." said Spencer as he thought about the necklace he got Olivia for Christmas that already contains his, Olivia's, and Piper's birthstones

"Well, if it's infinity, he could be boasting "I'll go on forever"?" asked Alex

"Or if it's an 8, Strauss was his eighth victim." said Morgan

"And the unofficial eighth member of our team." said JJ

"If this is a taunt from him, it's too random." said Hotch

"Well, he's only sent one message and he seems to be real proud of it." said Morgan

"Zugzwang." said Spencer as he thought about the day that Piper ended up in the hospital for Kawasaki Disease

"Then what does this mean? Rossi, the cut looks jagged. Any idea what caused the serration?" asked JJ

"Best guess is a piece of glass." said Rossi

"Maybe he used empty bottles from the mini bar?" asked Morgan

"Those were all plastic. The M. E. is checking for splinters now." said Rossi

"All right, let us know what you find out." said Hotch before hanging up and looking at the remaining members of his team "Anything from the photographs yet?"

"We blew up a few more and this one seems to stand out." said Morgan as he showed the one of him at the embassy dinner

"When were you in a tuxedo?" asked JJ

"It was a British embassy event." said Morgan

"Security clearance is high." said Alex

"Security was insane there. That kind of accessibility, plus knowing about Foyet, the fact that he was able to get through all of my security clearances alone, you guys are right. You have to trust your gut. The Replicator has gotta be on the inside." said an upset Garcia

* * *

A few hours later Spencer's phone vibrated when he was in the break area with his teammates.

SINCE THE SECURITY DETAIL IS BACK, DOES THAT MEAN THAT THE REPLICATOR IS BACK? ~ OR

Spencer sighed as he typed a reply.

YES, AND MY TEAMMATES AND I WERE GIVEN 24 HOURS TO FIND HIM AND ARREST HIM BEFORE HE HAS ANOTHER TEAM TAKE THE CASE. I WILL TRY AND COME HOME SAFE TO YOU. AND I LOVE YOU OLIVIA. ~ SR

Hotch looked at Spencer.

"Everything alright?" asked Hotch

"Olivia figured out why the security detail is back. I didn't tell her about Strauss, but I told her about the time limit we were given." said Spencer as he removed his glasses and rubbed his gritty eyes from very little sleep

"You alright, Spence?" asked JJ

"I am grateful that I am wearing my glasses instead of my contacts right now because otherwise my eyes would be very irritated for wearing the same contacts for over 24 hours and very little sleep." said Spencer as he put his glasses back on before taking a sip of his coffee

"That's why I recommended on your first day that you should always have your glasses with you." said Hotch

A few minutes later everyone decided to get back on topic since they had their fill of coffee.

"If the Replicator's an insider, is there any way Strauss knew him?" asked JJ

"She said she didn't recognize him." said Hotch

"To her defense, she was disoriented by the drug overdose." said Spencer

"She was adamant about it." said Hotch

"Well, even if Strauss didn't know him, it doesn't mean he didn't know her." said Morgan

"Within the Bureau, she is the face of the BAU." said Alex

"And clearly a target from the beginning. But why?" asked JJ

"More importantly, what was he replicating?" asked Spencer

"The drug overdose." said Alex

"I mean with the 8. It hasn't been part of any other case, and he's not one to make mistakes. He thought he was replicating a crime." said Spencer

"The Director made us walk away from the case a few months ago. Strauss said that she wouldn't let it go. What if she hadn't?" asked Hotch

"You think she started her own investigation?" asked Alex

"Well, if she thought he was an insider, she might have done something to trap him." said Hotch

"Why wouldn't she have told you about that back in New York?" asked Morgan

"Maybe she didn't have proof. But her determination, plus the fact that he doesn't make mistakes makes me think that the 8 was part of her plan to catch him." said Hotch as Spencer nodded in agreement at Hotch's line of thought "Do we have her laptop?" asked Hotch

* * *

"At least this narrows it down. Finding someone on the inside should be easier." said Alex

"Not necessarily. If our unsub was trained by law enforcement, he'd know how to fit in perfectly." said Spencer

"There's meaning and purpose to everything he does. Why did he choose to replicate the Silencer case?" asked Morgan

"Well, that unsub went dormant for years 'cause he was locked up. Is that a clue about the Replicator?" asked JJ as Spencer crossed his arms

"Well, it speaks to his patience. What about his M. O.? He sewed mouths shut." said Morgan

"It symbolizes keeping secrets. There could be something in that." said Alex

"He's targeting everyone. So how does that particular case factor into all of us?" asked Spencer

"It's the first one Garcia and I worked on with Blake." said Morgan

"Yeah, but the rest of us worked on the Seattle case before that." said JJ

"Right. The unsub who used his kid to bait the victims." said Alex

Spencer quickly thought about something as he remembered that Piper was almost two months old back then.

"We need to see if he replicated that one." said Spencer

"I will go talk to Garcia." said Morgan as he walked away

Spencer looked at Alex and JJ.

"During that case in Seattle, Piper was a few days from turning two months old." said Spencer

"And now she's 11 months old." said JJ

* * *

As Alex was getting a fax, Rossi entered the bullpen to go to his office to be alone and JJ tried to make her way over towards Rossi. Spencer stopped JJ from following him.

"Just leave him be for now. If it was Olivia, I would want to be alone for a while too." said Spencer softly as Morgan entered the room

A few minutes later Hotch entered the bullpen and looked at Spencer, JJ, Morgan, and Alex.

"I need everybody in the conference room." said Hotch

A few minutes later Hotch was briefing everyone but Garcia and Rossi.

"A dozen federal employees have read our case files over the last two years. They all went through the highest levels of security. Each of those names needs to be checked against Reid's list." said Hotch as he set the list on the table

"We should get them all in here and start the interrogations." said Alex

"If he knows we're looking his way, he might retreat. We should also check the support staffs of all those employees." said Hotch

"Each one has two assistants, so we're already up to 36 people." said JJ

"We should start with agents who work a 4-day, 40-hour week, given the fact that most of the murders happened over a long weekend, which means if the unsub traveled by car, no one at work would've missed them." said Spencer

"Well, he probably wouldn't fly. It would leave a paper trail." said JJ

Hotch noticed the papers that Alex was holding.

"What's this?" asked Hotch

"The Replicator's first case was the same as mine. Remember the sadist who made Ridgeway look tame?" asked Alex

"In Seattle, so it wasn't the Silencer." said Hotch

"Do you think it's a coincidence he started all of this when I joined the team?" asked Alex

"I don't know." said Hotch before glancing at Rossi's office "Dave's back? Excuse me." said Hotch before walking away as Morgan followed him

* * *

Spencer, JJ, and Alex were standing on the other side of the glass doors as they watched Hotch squeeze Rossi's hand before approaching his worried teammates.

"They've given him a sedative and they're going to take him to the infirmary. He's gonna be OK." said Hotch

"How did it get into his system?" asked Alex

"The report must have been dusted with whatever he used on Strauss." said Hotch

"Luckily the transdermal absorption rate was lower than her ingestion of it, so it wasn't fatal for Rossi." said Spencer as he was thankful that Piper, Albert, and Ava will still get to know their honorary grandfather

"Then this was a warning. If he wanted to kill Rossi, he had every chance to do it." said JJ

"If this is his endgame, why is he wasting time with warnings?" asked Alex

"He's toying with us and we're playing into him. He's turned Rossi against Morgan. Even if it was temporary, he wanted to show it could be done." said Hotch as Morgan approached them

"But why?" asked Alex

"Strauss was dosed with a chemical cousin of Doctor Death. He altered it so her torture would be longer." said Morgan as everyone realized that the agent who is after them is much smarter than they thought

"A biochemist, computer hacker, and federal agent? Who the hell is this guy?" asked JJ

A few minutes later Garcia and Kevin were showing them the security footage.

"Only half the cameras are working because the system is still rebooting itself, so the security guards have to go old school. That means everyone has to sign in. You can't take your I. D. and run it through- well, you know what old school means. So, if you have a badge, you don't get harassed. The man who signed in to see Rossi went up to the sixth floor, held the door open for Kevin and Anderson..." said Garcia

"I can't believe he was right there." said a shocked Kevin

"Walked through our BAU into Rossi's office, signed in as Adam Worth." said Garcia

Spencer quickly flashed back to the collect call he got on his land line.

"Adam Worth?" asked Spencer

"Isn't that the same alias he used a few hours before you and Olivia took Piper to the hospital?" asked JJ

"Yeah, which means it's not just a taunt. It speaks directly to his psychology. Adam Worth was a famous criminal from the late 1800s, commonly referred to as the Napoleon of Crime. This unsub obviously sees himself in the same light." said Spencer

"So this guy is a malignant narcissist who wants to be known as the worst enemy we've ever had." said Morgan

"And look, he's careful to hide his face from the cameras." said Alex as she looked at the footage

"Because he knows exactly where they are." said Hotch

* * *

Alex was jotting down every taunt that they were given.

"The Replicator has directly taunted everyone on this team except for me." said Alex

"You may be part of his endgame." said Hotch

"Then so was Strauss." said Alex

"He chose to use drugs as his final replication. That's no accident." said JJ

"Is that a connection to you?" asked Hotch

"Strauss and I had issues during the Amerithrax case. It started in New York with poison." said Alex

"And it was delivered by envelopes." said Spencer

"Why would anyone on the inside hold resentment over that case?" asked Morgan

"Because that person suffered a professional setback just like Blake, but was patient and psychotic enough to get revenge." said Hotch as Garcia entered the room

"I am all over the DOJ names including support staff. I have Kevin pulling files and photos. System is down, so it's hard to check entire career paths, but there were two agents in New York in 2001. Scratch that-Lehman died in October- that leaves Curtis." said Garcia as she showed Curtis's file

"Wait a second? John Curtis?" asked Alex

"You know him?" asked Garcia

"I haven't seen him in a long time. He was a nice guy. We were first office agents together, but I thought he left the Bureau after the Amerithrax case." said Alex

"Could it be him? Does he fit the profile?" asked Hotch

"He was quiet and a loner, but brilliant. He specialized in a lot of fields, but his passion was biochemistry." said Alex

A few minutes later Spencer, Hotch, Morgan, JJ, and Alex were heading up to the roof where helicopters were waiting for them as Garcia briefed them about Curtis.

"He inherited a family compound in rural Virginia. Coordinates on on your phone." said Garcia into the communication equipment attached to their vests

"What else do you have on Curtis?" asked Alex

"Just like you thought. John Curtis was demoted in the FBI after the Amerithrax case. He was slated to take over the coveted New York field office, but then was shipped to the not coveted Kansas City one. He worked there for many years quietly before he was able to weasel his way back into the nation's capital. On paper he is a rock star. He immediately transferred to the Department of Justice, the intelligence oversight section. He's a genius on multiple levels." said Garcia

"What's his background?" asked Hotch

"Only child, parents died when he was 18. Never married. Total loner, just like Blake said." said Garcia

"Then all he's ever had to care about is his work." said Hotch

"And when he lost that, he snapped." said Morgan as everyone continued going up the stairs to the waiting helicopters

A few minutes later Spencer was running towards the helicopter that Hotch and Alex were running to and as soon as he got in he put on the waiting headphones so he could hear before the helicopter took off as soon as Hotch closed the door.

* * *

As they were heading to the Curtis family compound, Hotch was briefing them.

"HRT will divide us up when we land." said Hotch

"As you can see from the geo ref'd he's got plenty of privacy. 5 1/2 acres, 3 structures, house included." said Garcia as the screens that Spencer, Alex, and Hotch were watching started to deal with a glitch

"Garcia." said Hotch

"I see it, too, sir. It must be some sort of system override." said Garcia as everyone realized that the Replicator is responsible when the helicopter started going through turbulence

"What's happening?" asked a frantic Garcia

"Autopilot's seized." said the pilot as the computer was going off while the helicopter continued to bounce a bit

Less than 20 seconds later the helicopter stabilized.

"I got it back." said the pilot

"Are you OK?" asked Garcia

"We're stabilizing." said Hotch

A few seconds later the helicopter started shaking again and Spencer, Hotch, and Alex held on.

"Brace for impact." said the pilot

Spencer grabbed a nearby handle and held on tightly as he thought that he didn't want to die yet since he has so much more to do.

A few seconds later the helicopter crashed and the Replicator knocked out Spencer, Hotch, Alex, and the pilot with the knock out gas he made before taking Alex out of the helicopter.

* * *

Spencer woke up, quickly removed his askew glasses and was able to tell that the pilot was awake, despite not being able to see at all.

"Are the lenses of my glasses not shattered?" groaned Spencer

The pilot took a look at Spencer's glasses since he realized that Spencer couldn't see without his glasses.

"I don't see any cracks in the lenses, and the frames are intact." said the pilot as Spencer put his glasses back on and rubbed his head

Morgan opened up the door and looked at his teammates and the pilot.

"Are you guys all right?" asked Morgan

"Yeah, and I am glad that my glasses didn't get damaged." said Spencer as he rubbed his forehead while a SWAT agent opened the door for him

"Where's Blake?" asked JJ as Hotch removed his earphones

Morgan picked something up.

"What the hell is this?" asked Morgan

A minute later the SWAT agent helped Spencer get out before walking through the field with Hotch, JJ, and Morgan.

"If he'd wanted to kill all of us, he could have." said JJ

"He's playing God, just like he's done all year. He hard-landed us, knocked us out with whatever was in that canister he could take Blake." said Spencer while being thankful that he's alive

"He had plenty of chances to take her before tonight. He wants it to be a spectacle." said Hotch

* * *

Spencer, JJ, Hotch, Morgan, and SWAT agents were getting ready to breach the house with their guns out.

"We're ready to breach the house." said Hotch as he motioned for Spencer to come with him and before he knew it he was entering a storm cellar with Hotch to head into the basement. They cleared rooms together before ending up in Curtis's photo lab with Morgan and JJ before entering a room where a gagged and chained up Alex was sitting

"Which way did he go?" asked JJ as she removed Alex's gag

"I don't know." said Alex

"Morgan, you and JJ find him. We've got this." said Hotch as he and Spencer crouched down to check the locks

"He said he used 8 locks because there used to be 8 of us." said Alex

"That's all he said?" asked Hotch as Spencer checked the keys

"About that, yes." said Alex

"There's only 6 keys. That mean two keys will be used twice. Each key is a letter, likely corresponds to a number on the locks. 7-seventh letter of the alphabet's "G." said Spencer

"What are the other letters?" asked Hotch

Spencer quickly looked.

"Um, Z, U, W- Zugzwang." said Spencer as he realized that he was getting tired of the word zugzwang "It's too easy." said Spencer as he started to unlock the locks before Morgan and JJ came back

"He's got the placed lined with C-4. We've only got 3 minutes." said Morgan

"This seems too easy. Zugzwang also means a dilemma in chess where the best move is not to move at all." said Spencer before realizing that Alex could be sitting on a trap "Wait, don't get up!" shouted Spencer

At that moment everyone realized why Spencer didn't want Alex to get up as she stood.

"It's a pressure sensor." said Spencer

At that moment the door closed on them and a short while later the door some how opened and Spencer, JJ, Morgan, Alex, and Hotch started running outside.

"Everybody get back! There's C-4 in the basement. Everybody back!" shouted Hotch as everyone got as far from the house as they could

"Wait, where's Rossi?" asked Spencer

"He was right behind me." said Morgan

"Dave!" shouted Hotch

"He just let us out. Why would he go back in?" asked Morgan

As Rossi came out, Hotch quickly guided him towards the rest of the team and everyone ducked for cover and covered their heads as the house exploded before watching the burning house in shock while paramedics standing by quickly checked them over.

* * *

A few hours later Spencer entered the house, passed Olivia, Piper, and his uncle and headed straight to the stairs as Gordon and Olivia wondered what was going on while Piper started crying due to her father not greeting her like he always does when he comes home from work.

"Spencer?" asked Olivia as she watched her husband go upstairs and Gordon scooped up Piper and passed her to her mother as Olivia grabbed her phone to call Hotch

* * *

Spencer was sitting on his bed with his head in his hands as he felt the bed dip beside him.

"Spencer?" asked Olivia

Spencer looked at Olivia as a tear fell down his face.

"I talked to Aaron few minutes ago and told me about Strauss." said Olivia as she hugged her husband

"Are you going to ask Dr. Carter if you can attend the funeral despite being on bed rest?" asked Spencer

"I'm planning on it, but how about you take a shower before going to bed since Aaron told me that it's been over 48 hours since the last time you slept." said Olivia

"I will tell you about everything that happened after the babies are born so you don't get so upset that your water breaks." said Spencer as he got off the bed

"You better." said Olivia as she pulled out her cellphone

15 minutes later a freshly showered Spencer exited the bathroom wearing only his pajama pants only to find Piper sitting on the bed near Olivia.

"What did she say?" asked Spencer as he scooped up Piper and laid down on the bed as he settled Piper on top of him

"She gave me the OK as long as I take it easy while riding in a wheelchair in the cemetery, and she told me to give you her condolences." said Olivia as she removed her husband's glasses "You look like you need a lot of sleep."

"I have been up for over 48 hours." said Spencer as he rubbed Piper's back

"How about Piper and I take a nap with you since she's already asleep?" asked Olivia as she started to lay down next to her husband

"Best idea ever." said Spencer as his phone vibrated alerting a text message from Hotch "What does it say?" asked Spencer as he passed Olivia his phone

"The funeral is on the 28th, and I am still coming despite being 36 weeks pregnant that day." said Olivia

* * *

Two days later, Spencer was pushing Olivia's wheelchair towards the limo before letting go of the handles to open up the limo door so Alex, JJ, and Morgan could get in before Spencer and a driver could get Olivia out of her wheelchair and help her into the limo before Spencer got in himself as the driver closed the door before loading the wheelchair into the trunk.

"You doing OK Livy?" asked Spencer

"Dealing with back pain right now." said Olivia as she buckled herself in the best she could

Spencer started massaging Olivia's back as the driver started driving.

* * *

A few hours later Spencer, Olivia, Hotch, Morgan, JJ, Alex, Rossi, and Garcia were sitting around a table in Rossi's garden talking about their memories with Strauss.

"It had to be a perfect round. And sure enough, coming right back at me was the target. And it was blasted right through the chest. The goggles come off... And it's Strauss." said Morgan before laughing "I mean, I was like, what? I would have never believed it if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes. That woman... She was one hell of a shot." said Morgan

"Um...do you guys remember that one time that she called me, but I thought that it was somebody else?" asked Garcia

Spencer, JJ, and Morgan laughed since they were there.

"That was funny." said JJ

"Oh no." said Morgan

"Oh, maybe to you. I was mortified." said Garcia

"What did you say?" asked Alex

"I said, "Talk dirty to me." said Garcia

"Yes, she did." said Morgan as everyone laughed or smile "That's my girl." said Morgan

"Are you kidding?" asked Alex

"Hey, that was my line." said Rossi

At that moment everyone started laughing before more stories were exchanged, causing everyone to smile or laugh as Olivia had tears streaming down her face due to hormones.

* * *

Rossi tapped his wine glass to get everyone's attention.

"Last year, right here, we had a... Very different celebration. Of life, of love, and good people. This year it's the, uh, other side of that. Because, well... That's what families do. It's been a hard year." said Rossi as he thought about how Spencer and Olivia had to deal with Piper ending up very sick in the hospital and Spencer having to get his tonsils removed "But tonight... We celebrate a life well lived... Well loved... To a good woman..." said Rossi as everyone moved their glasses of wine or in Spencer and Olivia's case, sparkling grape juice to the center of the table "An even better mother... To our friend... Who I will miss very much." said Rossi as everyone clinked their glasses together before taking a sip

As Spencer and Olivia set down their glasses, Olivia looked at her husband.

"I need to walk around a bit." said Olivia

Spencer got up before helping Olivia up.

"I am going to join you Livy." said Spencer as he had a suspicion that Olivia was showing signs of being in labor

"I was hoping you would." said Olivia as she grabbed her husband's hand

Spencer and Olivia started to slowly walk around Rossi's backyard and Spencer massaged Olivia's lower back as they walked while talking quietly.

"How are you handling everything?" asked Olivia

"I'm doing OK, but I am glad that you came along to the funeral and here for dinner." said Spencer

"It took a lot of arguing with Dr. Carter before she told me that I could go to the funeral as long as I was in a wheelchair instead of walking." said Olivia

At that moment Olivia felt her water break before gasping in pain as she clutched her very swollen belly.

"What's wrong?" asked Spencer

"My water just broke." said Olivia


	38. Albert and Ava Reid

Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds

A/N: Shout out to Mrs. JaganshiReidofHufflepuff, snowdrop65, OhSnapItsMadison, tannerose5, and Chermayne for reviewing chapter 37.

Only two more chapters left until I get started on the sequel Love Takes Away the Pain: Book Three which will deal with Spencer and Olivia managing being parents to two babies and one toddler during the season 9 storyline.

* * *

Spencer looked at his watch and noted the time of 9 PM before turning his head and gazing in the direction of his teammates who were talking and laughing about 20 feet away. He shouted the first two names that came to mind.

"HOTCH! MORGAN!" shouted Spencer as he massaged Olivia's back while tears streamed down her face as he led her over to the nearest bench

15 seconds later Hotch and Morgan approached Spencer who was comforting Olivia and Spencer turned his head since Olivia was sobbing in pain on his shoulder.

"Olivia's in labor." said Spencer as Alex, Garcia, JJ, and Rossi came over

"Please help me get her to the SUV so I can drive her to the hospital. I am going to go start the SUV right now." said Spencer before sprinting away

Morgan and Hotch started helping Olivia walk to the Reid family SUV.

A few minutes later Olivia was settled into the already running SUV, and Garcia looked at Spencer.

"I already called Georgetown Medical Center to let them know you guys are on your way." said Garcia

"And I will run to your house to get the bags you two packed for the stay at the hospital." said JJ

"At least Spencer already has Albert and Ava's car seats installed." said Olivia as she accepted good lucks from everyone before Spencer backed out of Rossi's driveway

* * *

At 11:30 PM a nurse led Hotch, Morgan, JJ, Alex, Garcia, and Rossi to the waiting area outside of Olivia's birthing suite.

"This is where you guys have to wait, and there's coffee and some snacks right over there." said the nurse before leaving the room

"Thank you." said Hotch as everyone got comfortable

"We should probably call William so he can check Diana out of the hospital and fly here with her and Ethel." said Rossi

"I will take care of that notification." said Hotch

"I will call Emily." said Garcia

10 minutes later Garcia and Hotch pocketed their phones as the door to Olivia's birthing suite opened and Spencer stepped out of the suite before shutting the door. He headed straight to the coffee pot, not realizing that his teammates were in the room and saw that he was already wearing hospital provided scrubs instead of the suit he wore to Strauss's funeral.

"Dr. Spencer Reid, dressed like a medical doctor." deadpanned Hotch

Spencer turned his head to see that his teammates were in the room wearing casual clothes instead of the clothes they wore at Strauss's funeral.

"I thought you guys were going to go home and get some sleep before coming here in the morning after the babies are born?" said Spencer as he poured himself a cup of coffee and added some sugar

"We're not going to miss this since we all missed Piper's birth, and here are yours and Olivia's bags." said JJ as she passed Spencer the two duffel bags "Your uncle said that Piper is doing fine, and he will come here with her sometime tomorrow morning."

"Thanks." said Spencer as he took the bags from JJ

"How's Olivia doing?" asked Garcia

"She's sleeping right now since a nurse gave her a sedative an hour and a half ago, and apparently she started dilating over five hours ago." said Spencer

"Too much information, kid." said Morgan

"How far is she?" asked JJ

"Five centimeters." answered Spencer

"Is Olivia getting an epidural?" asked JJ

"She is once she reaches six centimeters." said Spencer

Spencer quickly realized that he hasn't called his father or Emily.

"I still have have to call my father and Emily." said Spencer

"I already called your father, and he's going to check your mom out of Bennington after breakfast tomorrow morning before he, your mom, and Aunt Ethel start driving across the country for the next few days in your dad's car and after Diana meets Albert and Ava she and Ethel are flying back to Vegas a day later while your dad officially moves in." said Hotch

"At least his furniture is already set up, and he just has to work on unpacking everything when he arrives." said Spencer

"I called Emily. She told me that she's on a case but ordered me to send pictures as soon as Albert and Ava are born and she will try and visit during your paternity leave." said Garcia

"Thanks for making notifications." said Spencer

Before anyone could reply, Olivia screamed loudly in pain as another contraction passed.

"I guess she woke up." said Spencer

"You better get back in there before she gets violent." said Hotch

Spencer rushed into Olivia's room and as the door closed they heard Olivia shout.

"IF YOU GET ME PREGNANT AGAIN AS SOON AS I GET THE ALL CLEAR TO HAVE SEX, I AM GOING TO CASTRATE YOU!" shouted Olivia

JJ, Morgan, Garcia, Alex, and Rossi roared with laughter as Hotch's lips twitched a bit.

"I can picture Reid's face turning red right now." laughed Morgan

Hotch looked at Morgan.

"Just wait until you have kids." said Hotch before they heard Olivia give Spencer another threat, causing more laughter

* * *

Meanwhile in the birthing suite, Spencer was massaging Olivia's back and belly when Dr. Carter entered the room.

"Let's see how far you are." said Dr. Carter before kneeling down to check the progress "You're at six centimeters right now, so I am going to have the anesthesiologist that I already called come in." said Dr. Carter as she pressed the button on her pager

A minute later the anesthesiologist came into the room with her equipment and she looked at Olivia.

"Ready for your epidural Olivia?" asked the anesthesiologist

"Yes." growled Olivia before glaring at her husband "We are never having sex again."

Dr. Carter and the anesthesiologist laughed as Spencer wheeled his stool back a bit, raising his hands in surrender mode.

"I'm going to need your help to adjust your wife for the small procedure so hopefully you're not afraid of her." said the anesthesiologist

"I have dealt with much worse." said Spencer

A short while later the anesthesiologist had injected the anesthesia into Olivia's lower back.

"It should kick in soon." said anesthesiologist

"Good." growled Olivia

The anesthesiologist looked at Spencer.

"What do you mean by you have dealt with worse?" asked the anesthesiologist

"I'm a profiler for the FBI, and I travel all over the country catching serial killers so I have dealt with guns being pointed at me and with serial killers setting off bombs." said Spencer

"You work for the BAU?" asked the anesthesiologist

"Yes." said Spencer

"I have read articles in psychology journals written by a Dr. Spencer Reid who works for that unit, and I always wanted to ask him questions about his studies." said the anesthesiologist

Olivia and Dr. Carter burst out laughing as Spencer's face turned a bit red.

"What's so funny?" asked the anesthesiologist

"You're talking to him right now." said Dr. Carter

* * *

Five hours later Dr. Carter came and checked on Olivia's progress and looked at Spencer and Olivia.

"It's time to start pushing." said Dr. Carter as she motioned a nurse to help transition the bed before Spencer and another nurse got Olivia into position and Spencer headed to the sink to wash his hands and put on a mask before positioning himself behind Olivia

"I need to push now." growled Olivia as she felt her husband's touch

Dr. Carter looked at the monitor that helped tell her when Olivia's about to have a contraction.

"Go ahead." said Dr. Carter

Olivia screamed as she pushed before leaning against her husband's chest.

"You're doing great, Olivia." said Spencer as he rubbed her back

Dr. Carter looked at the monitor.

"Your next contraction is coming up in 10 seconds so get ready to push, Olivia." said Dr. Carter

10 seconds later Olivia screamed as she pushed before leaning against her husband.

"I see some curly brown hair right now so only two more pushes before meeting Reid twin number one." said Dr. Carter

"Can I push?" asked Olivia

"Go ahead." said Dr. Carter

Olivia screamed as she pushed.

"Shoulders are now showing so I need you to push harder." said Dr. Carter

Olivia pushed hard before everyone in the delivery room heard cries.

"It's a boy!" exclaimed Dr. Carter as she passed Albert to a nurse who quickly wiped him up before looking at Spencer

"Want to cut the cord?" asked the nurse

"Yes please." said Spencer as tears streamed down his face when he heard his son cry as he cut the cord

A few seconds later Albert was on Olivia's chest before being taken away to get cleaned up and checked over as Dr. Carter checked on the progress of Ava.

"Another contraction is coming up in 15 seconds, and I think in 15 minutes your daughter will make her debut." said Dr. Carter as Spencer scrambled into position

"I need to push." said Olivia

"Go ahead." said Dr. Carter

Olivia pushed before leaning against her husband.

"You're doing great, love." said Spencer as he wiped some sweat

15 minutes later everyone heard Ava's cries fill the room as Spencer and Olivia had more tears of joy stream down their faces before Spencer cut Ava's cord and Olivia could see Ava for a few seconds before having to deal with the delivery of the placenta and getting cleaned up.

"Go be with Albert and Ava." said Olivia

"I love you." said Spencer as he wiped the tears off Olivia's face

"I love you too." said Olivia as she used her hand that didn't contain an IV to wipe the tears off her husband's face

* * *

A half hour later Spencer took his first picture of Albert and Ava together before typing the information he was given and sending the photo to his father, uncle Gordon, aunt Ethel, and Emily.

ALBERT SPENCER REID

BORN AT 6:15 AM ON MAY 29TH, 2013

5 POUNDS 10 OUNCES

AVA DIANA REID

BORN AT 6:30 AM ON MAY 29TH, 2013

5 POUNDS 6 OUNCES

BOTH OLIVIA AND THE TWINS ARE DOING GREAT.

As Spencer pocketed his phone, a freshly showered Olivia looked at him.

"Can you please pass me Albert?" asked Olivia

"Sure." said Spencer as he reached for Albert and passed him to Olivia before gently picking Ava up from the crib

"Hello Ava, I'm your daddy." said Spencer

Ava opened her eyes at the sound of her daddy's voice and cooed at him.

"You look like your mommy, my little Birdie." said Spencer as he looked at Ava's blue eyes that match Olivia's

"Birdie?" asked Olivia as she bonded with Albert

"Ava means bird, so my special nickname for her will be Birdie." said Spencer as he stroked Ava's cheek

"Let's switch so I can see Ava before we let your teammates into the room so they can fight over who gets to hold the babies first." said Olivia

Spencer switched babies and looked at Albert's eyes to see that they are already brown like his.

"Hello Albert, I'm your daddy." said Spencer as he looked at his son and realized that Albert looks just like him "You are going to help me scare your big sister Piper's and your twin sister Ava's boyfriends in the future."

Albert cooed in agreement at his father and Olivia looked at her husband.

"Really, Spencer?" asked Olivia

Spencer nodded before gazing down at his son who is now going to help carry on their surname.

"Would you like me to bring your friends in?" asked the nurse

"Yes, please." said Olivia

"My uncle is bringing Piper when visiting hours starts." said Spencer

"Their big sister?" asked the nurse

"Piper's 11 months old, and she was born on Father's Day last year." smiled Spencer as he rocked Albert

"And Spencer's parents and aunt are driving out here from Las Vegas this morning." said Olivia

"I will go let your friends in." said the nurse

* * *

Morgan was pacing the room as the others slept when the door opened revealing a nurse, causing everyone to wake up.

"Dr. Reid and his wife are requesting your presence." said the smiling nurse

"Are the babies here yet?" asked Garcia as she bounced on her heels in excitement

"They were born 15 minutes apart, but Spencer and Olivia wanted to have a few minutes alone with them before letting you guys in." said the nurse as she motioned for everyone to follow and looked at the tired agents "You guys can only stay for a few minutes before heading home to get some sleep since it's 7 in the morning and you guys will be more comfortable in your own beds."

Everyone nodded as the nurse opened the door and let them into the room. They instantly noticed that Spencer and Olivia were each holding a baby while quietly talking to each other.

"Can we meet the wonder twins?" asked Garcia

Spencer and Olivia adjusted Albert and Ava so everyone could see their faces causing Alex, JJ, and Garcia to coo when they saw the twins faces.

"Would you like to hold your godson?" asked Spencer

"Yes." said Garcia as she extracted Albert from his father and started cooing at the baby "You look so much like your daddy."

Olivia looked at Morgan.

"Would you like to hold your goddaughter?" asked Olivia

"Sure." said Morgan as he extracted Ava from Olivia "I think you look like your mother."

After Alex, JJ, and Rossi congratulated Spencer on a job well done before making their way over to Olivia, Hotch walked over to Spencer and gave him a hug.

"How does it feel to be a father of three?" asked Hotch

"I'm feeling pretty good, but I know that it's going to be a challenge to deal with one toddler and two babies." said Spencer

"You will be able to handle this challenge like all the other challenges you were given." said Hotch as he accepted Albert from Garcia, looked at Albert's face and realized that he was going to be a clone of his father "He looks just like you Spencer." said Hotch as he smiled at Spencer who was grinning down at his son before he passed Albert to Rossi

"I was hoping that Albert would look just like his daddy." beamed Olivia

JJ, who was holding Ava, spoke up.

"Ava looks just like you, Olivia." said JJ

"I was hoping that my little birdie would look just like her mommy." said Spencer

"Birdie?" asked Garcia as she extracted her goddaughter from JJ

"Ava means bird, so Birdie is my special nickname for Ava like Goober is for Piper, but I don't have a special nickname for Albert yet." said Spencer

A few minutes later Albert and Ava were in their parents arms, and a nurse came into the room.

"It's time for you guys to go and Spencer's allowed to stay." said the nurse

JJ looked at Spencer.

"I'm planning on bringing Will and Henry here later on today around lunch time and I will bring you guys some take out." said JJ

"And Beth's bringing Jack back today, so I will bring them by later." said Hotch

"Do you think those visits can wait until after Piper get to meet Albert and Ava?" asked Spencer

"Sure, Spence." said JJ with Hotch nodding in agreement

"Beth, Jack, and I will come around supper time and bring you some food." said Hotch

* * *

After Albert and Ava were either bottle fed or nursed by their parents and burped, the two nurses who were in charge of the twins looked at Spencer and Olivia.

"You two definitely need sleep, so we are going to take Albert and Ava to the nursery." said the older nurse

"Can Spencer sleep with me?" asked Olivia

"He sure can." said the same nurse as she checked Olivia's vitals before Spencer could join his wife in bed

A few minutes later Spencer and Olivia were fast asleep in Olivia's bed.

* * *

Two hours later Spencer and Olivia were laying side by side in Olivia's hospital bed, each holding a twin when they heard Piper's voice.

"Mommy! Daddy!" exclaimed Piper as she toddled into the room while holding her great uncle's hand

"Please pass Piper over here and you can hold Albert while I introduce Piper to Ava." said Spencer

Gordon scooped up his great niece and settled her onto the bed before collecting Albert from his father.

"Piper, I would like you to meet your little sister Ava." said Spencer as he grabbed Piper and settled her onto his lap

Piper leaned forward and gave her little sister a kiss, causing the proud parents to smile while Gordon looked at his nephew.

"Albert looks just like you when you were born, Spencer." said Gordon as he smiled at his great-nephew

"I already know that Albert is a clone of me." said Spencer

"Want to switch twins so you can meet your new great niece?" asked Olivia

"Sure." said Gordon as he switched twins with Olivia

Olivia looked at Piper, who was happily settled on her daddy's lap.

"Piper, this is your little brother Albert." said Olivia

Piper leaned forward again and gave her little bother a kiss.

At that moment a nurse entered the room and smiled when she saw Piper on her daddy's lap.

"Oh my gosh, Piper has grown a lot since her birth last June." said the nurse as she remembered how she helped Olivia get Spencer's first Father's Day card ready while he went to get some lunch

Piper looked up at the nurse and waved.

"Hi." said Piper

"Would you guys like your first family photo?" asked the nurse

"Sure." said Spencer before looking at his uncle "Uncle Gordon, would you like to be in it?" asked Spencer

"Let's just wait for a few days until the rest of the family arrives from Las Vegas, but I can help position you guys before the nurse takes the photo while I maker sure that Piper smiles for the pictures." said Gordon as he passed Ava back to her mother who moved Albert to one arm so she could hold a twin in each arm

A minute later the nurse took a picture of a smiling Spencer, Olivia, and Piper as Albert and Ava who were both awake stared at the nurse.

"Let me take another picture of you guys." said the nurse

Spencer and Olivia decided to gaze down at their three babies since Piper was smiling at the funny faces her great uncle was making for her before she let out a yawn.

"I guess it's nap time for someone." smiled the nurse as she placed Spencer's phone back onto the table

"I guess I am going to take Piper home." said Gordon before looking at his nephew "Are you coming home tonight?"

"I'm staying here." said Spencer

* * *

A few hours later there was a knock on the door. JJ peeked in and smiled when she saw Spencer and Olivia each holding a baby.

"Is there room for three more?" asked JJ

"Come on in." said Olivia as she smiled at JJ

JJ, Will, and Henry entered the room and Henry ran over to his godfather as Will set the take out that he and JJ got for Spencer on the table.

"Uncle Spence." said Henry as quiet as he could since his mommy and daddy explained to him that his Aunt Olivia had the twins so they would probably be sleeping

"Hey there Henry." said Olivia

"May I hold Ava?" asked Henry

"Sure you can Henry." said Spencer

Will lifted Henry and took him to the couch where they sat side by side as Spencer brought over Ava and placed her in Henry's arms while JJ extracted Albert from Olivia so she could hold him.

"Henry, I would like to introduce you to Ava Diana Reid." said Spencer

"She's pretty." said Henry before looking at his father "You want to hold her, daddy?"

Will extracted his new niece from his son and looked at Piper.

"She's beautiful, Spencer." said Will

"Thanks." said Spencer as he accepted Albert from JJ before JJ extracted Ava from her husband so she could spend time with Ava

"Can I hold Albert now?" asked Henry

"Sure." said Spencer as he gently placed Albert in his arms before Henry started to tell Albert what they can do together with Jack

"I think Henry's glad to have another boy to play with." said Will as he extracted Albert from Henry's arms so he could look at Spencer's son "He looks just like you, Spencer."

"I'm happy that Albert looks just like his father." said Olivia

JJ looked at Spencer and Olivia as she and Will passed the twins back to their parents.

"We have to get going since we told Henry that you two are tired, and we promised him that we would come by for a couple of minutes." said JJ

Olivia looked at Henry.

"Thank you for coming, Henry." said Olivia

"Can we have a play date in a few weeks?" asked Henry

"How about during Piper's birthday party next month." said Olivia

"I just can't believe that my goddaughter is turning 1 next month." said JJ

"Piper's only 347 days older than Albert and Ava." said Spencer

Will looked at Henry.

"Let's get going, so Uncle Spencer and Aunt Olivia can eat the lunch we brought them." said Will as he scooped up his son and a minute later JJ, Will, and Henry were out of the room

Spencer placed Ava in her crib before grabbing Albert from Olivia and putting him in the same crib as Ava since they wanted Albert and Ava to be kept as close as possible before Spencer and Olivia started eating their lunch.

* * *

Around dinner time, there was a knock on the door and Hotch stuck his head in.

"Are you two ready for more visitors?" asked Hotch

Spencer and Olivia looked at the twins and smiled when they saw that they were awake.

"You're lucky that Albert and Ava are awake right now." said Spencer

Hotch stepped into the room with Jack and Beth.

"Hey there, Spencer and Olivia." smiled Beth as placed a gift bag on the table as Hotch placed take out on the same table "Here's something that you can use when you get out of here." said Beth before taking Ava from Olivia and started cooing over her

"Jack, I would like to introduce you to Albert." said Spencer

"Hi there, Albert." said Jack

Hotch took a picture of a smiling Jack holding Albert before looking at Spencer.

"Piper still with your uncle?" asked Hotch

"Yes." said Spencer

Hotch looked at Spencer and Olivia.

"I was hoping that you two would allow me to have Piper sleep over tonight so Gordon can take a break." said Hotch

"Are you sure?" asked Olivia

"I want to spend some time with my goddaughter, and tomorrow I was thinking about taking her to the park with Jack." said Hotch

"Go ahead." said Spencer

"Uncle Spencer, can I please hold Ava now?" asked Jack

"Sure you can bud." said Spencer

Hotch, Beth, and Spencer performed the switch before Jack looked at Ava.

"Hi Ava." said Jack as his father took a picture

Spencer's stomach growled and Hotch looked at Jack.

"We should probably get going so we can pick up Piper while Spencer and Olivia eat the dinner we brought them." said Hotch

"I will let Uncle Gordon know that you're heading over to the house to pick up Piper." said Spencer

A few minutes later Albert and Ava were in the nursery with other newborn babies as Spencer and Olivia ate their dinner.

* * *

A few hours later a freshly showered Spencer exited Olivia's private bathroom in his pajamas when a nurse entered the room and looked at Spencer and Olivia.

"Albert and Ava are going to be staying in the nursery tonight since you two have only gotten a few hours of sleep since arriving last night." said the nurse

"Are they going to be OK?" asked Olivia

"They will be, and you two need all the sleep you can get." said the nurse as she checked over Olivia "Now get some sleep." said the nurse before turning off the overhead light and leaving Olivia's room

"Come join me, Spencer." said Olivia as she patted on the bed

Spencer got into Olivia's hospital bed, and a few minutes later Spencer and Olivia were fast asleep.


	39. Albert and Ava Go Home

Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds

A/N: Shout out to southernbeauty13 for being the 200th reviewer of this story, and also a shout out to tannerose5, snowdrop65, OhSnapItsMadison, Mrs. JaganshiReidofHufflepuff, Chermayne for reviewing chapter 38.

* * *

Two days later, Spencer was finally able to take Olivia and the twins home and his uncle Gordon stepped outside as Spencer helped Olivia out of the SUV.

"Piper's taking a nap right now, and I want to help you two carry one of the twins inside." said Gordon as he headed to one side of the SUV and smiled when he saw Ava's car seat "You got Albert?" asked Gordon as he started removing Ava's car seat

Spencer nodded and a few minutes later Spencer and Olivia were each holding a twin as Gordon sorted through Spencer's and Olivia's laundry and Spencer looked at Albert who was lying in his arms.

"Hopefully tomorrow you and your twin sister will meet your Nana and Papa." said Spencer

"At least we have been sending them a lot of pictures." said Olivia

Spencer and Olivia heard Piper crying through the baby monitor, and Olivia looked at her husband.

"Please hand me Albert and go get Piper." said Olivia as she adjusted Ava in her arms so she could hold both twins at once

"Yes ma'am." teased Spencer as he gently placed Albert in Olivia's free arm

A few minutes later Spencer grinned when he saw Piper standing up in her crib.

"Daddy home!" exclaimed Piper

"Yes I'm home Goober, and so is Mommy, Albert, and Ava." said Spencer as he scooped Piper out of her crib, and a few minutes later Spencer was carrying Piper downstairs so Piper could see her mommy, Albert, and Ava

"Mommy!" exclaimed Piper as she toddled over to her mommy and her brown eyes went wide when she saw her little brother and sister

"I missed you Piper." said Olivia as Spencer scooped up Piper and sat on the couch with her on his lap

* * *

A few hours later Piper, Albert, and Ava were sleeping while Spencer and Olivia were sitting on the couch watching a movie. When the movie was over, Spencer looked at Olivia.

"Since Piper, Albert, and Ava are sleeping, would you like me to tell you about what happened after Strauss's death until the Replicator got killed?" asked Spencer

"Yes, please." said Olivia

Spencer started explaining what happened while including how the Replicator hard landed the helicopter that he was in with Hotch and Alex and about the house explosion John Curtis died in as he noticed the tears streaming down Olivia's face.

"I'm sorry for not telling you what happened as soon as I got home, but I didn't want you to go into labor as soon as I told you." said Spencer

"I forgive you for not telling me right away, but are you planning on seeing Dr. Andrews for some counseling during your paternity leave?" asked Olivia

"Hotch already recommended that I set up a few appointments with him since I dealt with a traumatic experience in the field." said Spencer

* * *

At 8 PM the same evening, Spencer and Olivia exited Albert's and Ava's nurseries at the same time and met up in the hallway.

"How about you're on Albert duty while I'm on Ava duty." said Olivia

"Deal, then we switch twins tomorrow night." said Spencer as he and Olivia shook hands

"And knowing your father, he's going to insist that you take a night off from baby duty on your last night of paternity leave so you can get a good night's sleep." said Olivia

"I know, but with having one toddler and two newborn babies, we are going to need all the help we can get." said Spencer

Gordon stepped out of the bathroom with Piper in his arms.

"The twins asleep?" asked Gordon as he passed a pajama clad Piper to her father

Spencer and Olivia nodded.

"I know that I don't need to tell you two that you should tuck in Piper before hitting the showers and getting to bed yourselves." said Gordon before heading downstairs to see if any housework needs to be done

Spencer looked at Piper.

"Want me to tuck you in while Mommy takes a shower?" asked Spencer

"Ya." said Piper as she snuggled into her daddy's arms

"Let's get you tucked in." said Spencer as he carried Piper to her nursery so he could read and sing Piper to sleep

15 minutes later, Spencer left Piper's nursery and quietly checked on Albert before checking on Ava and when he was sure that all three babies were asleep, he headed to the master bathroom to see Olivia buttoning up one of his dress shirts that she was wearing as a pajama shirt

"The shower's all yours." said Olivia as she left the bathroom

15 minutes later Spencer exited the bathroom while drying his hair, and Olivia looked at her husband who was wearing cotton pajama pants and an FBI t-shirt.

"Ready to be awakened a few times a night again?" asked Olivia

"Ready as I'll ever be, but at least working for the BAU has prepared me for being awakened at odd hours while dealing with little sleep." said Spencer before making sure that his hair was dry enough before tossing the towel into the hamper

A minute later Spencer and Olivia were laying in their favorite position when Spencer's cellphone vibrated and he saw a text message from his father.

JUST SETTLED INTO A HOTEL ROOM IN COLUMBUS, OHIO. SO DIANA, ETHEL, AND I SHOULD BE ARRIVING EARLY TOMORROW AFTERNOON. ~ WR

Olivia looked at her husband.

"Where are your parents and aunt?" asked Olivia

"Columbus, Ohio." said Spencer

"That's over six and a half hours from here, and that means Albert and Ava get to meet their Nana and Papa tomorrow." said Olivia as she curled into her husband's side

"Yep." said Spencer as he replied to his father's text message

LIVY AND I ARE ABOUT TO GO TO BED OURSELVES SINCE PIPER, ALBERT, AND AVA ARE ALL ASLEEP IN THEIR CRIBS AND LIVY AND I ARE GOING TO BE AWAKENED QUITE A BIT TONIGHT. ~ SR

"Let's get some sleep because one of us will be up in a few hours." said Olivia

Spencer removed his glasses and a few minutes later he and Olivia were asleep.

* * *

A few hours later, Spencer heard Albert's cries through the baby monitor on his nightstand. He fumbled for his glasses before heading toward Albert's nursery and smiled at his son who was all red faced and crying.

"Are you hungry?" asked Spencer as he scooped up Albert and settled him into his arms

Albert stopped crying, looked at his daddy and cooed.

"Let's go get you a bottle since your mommy is in charge of your twin sister tonight." said Spencer as he carried Albert out of the nursery and headed downstairs to the kitchen.

A few minutes later he was sitting in the nursery's rocking chair and gave Albert his bottle as he sang to him.

After Albert was fed, burped, and soothed back to sleep Spencer crawled back into bed and Olivia stirred.

"You fed Albert?" asked a groggy Olivia

"Yeah, and pretty soon I am going to wake up to change his diaper." said Spencer

At that moment Olivia heard Ava crying through the baby monitor on her nightstand and looked at her husband.

"Well, Ava's probably hungry." said Olivia as she got of bed and headed to Ava's nursery

Less than a half hour later Spencer heard Albert's cries, got out of bed, headed to Albert's nursery and scooped up his son.

"I guess a diaper change is calling your name." said Spencer as he carried his son to the diaper changing table and started removing Albert's diaper, only for Albert to urinate on him, causing Spencer to gasp as his Cal-tech t-shirt got soaked "I guess your Papa William, Uncle Aaron, Aunt JJ, and Uncle Will were right that I need to make sure you stay covered." said Spencer as he quickly finished changing Albert's diaper before removing his t-shirt and grabbed some wipes to clean himself off

A few minutes later Spencer entered the master bedroom as Olivia walked out of the bathroom and licked her lips.

"Not that I'm not enjoying the view, but I know that Albert peed on you since I heard you talk through the baby monitor." said Olivia

Spencer shook his head as he tossed his shirt into the hamper, grabbed a clean t-shirt, and slipped it on before joining Olivia in bed.

"I'm not going to tease you because Albert did it earlier when I was getting him ready for his bath." said Olivia

At that moment Ava started crying.

"I guess Ava needs her diaper change, and hopefully we get a few hours of sleep." said Olivia before leaving the room

* * *

The next morning Spencer, Olivia, Gordon, and Piper were eating breakfast while Albert and Ava slept in their bassinets and Olivia looked at her husband.

"Would you run to the party store today and start buying everything we need for Piper's first birthday party?" asked Olivia

"Sure, and I will take Piper with me so you can rest some more while bonding with Albert and Ava." said Spencer

"I was hoping that you would take her with you." said Olivia

"I just can't believe that Piper's going to be 1 in 16 days." sighed Spencer as he watched his eldest eat her pancake with no help at all

"Me either, Spencer." said Olivia as a tear streamed down her face

"Post pregnancy hormones?" asked Spencer gently

Olivia nodded as her messy ponytail bounced.

Spencer looked at his uncle.

"How much longer are you staying here in DC?" asked Spencer

"I am planning on flying back to Vegas with Diana and Ethel since your father is staying." said Gordon

"And you're done traveling aboard?" asked Spencer

"Yes, and you do know the rules I gave you for when you have a case in or near Las Vegas." said Gordon

"I need to call to let you know that I'm in town. Besides it's one of the rules that my teammates and I have when it comes to having a case in or near the area a teammate grew up in that it's important to visit family you have in the area." said Spencer

Olivia looked at her husband.

"Let's stop talking about work and instead start talking about the theme for Piper's first birthday party." said Olivia

"How about a western theme?" asked Spencer

"I love it, and I already have our outfits in mind." grinned Olivia as she thought about her husband wearing jeans, a plaid shirt, cowboy boots, and a cowboy hat while she wears the same type of outfit

At that moment Ava started crying.

"I will deal with Ava." said Spencer as he quickly got up, scooped Ava out of her bassinet and realized what was wrong "I guess my little birdie has a stinky diaper." said Spencer as he carried Ava upstairs

* * *

A few hours later Spencer settled Piper into the cart at the party store and looked at his eldest.

"Let's go shopping for your first birthday party." said Spencer as he started pushing the cart through the store and after shopping for 10 minutes he recognized his former neighbor Ms. Cavanaugh "Ms. Cavanaugh?" asked Spencer

Ms. Cavanaugh turned herself and quickly realized that her former neighbor, Spencer, was standing near her.

"Dr. Reid?" asked Ms. Cavanaugh

Spencer nodded as Ms. Cavanaugh noticed Piper who was sitting in a padded seat in the cart.

"Is this the baby your wife was pregnant with when you moved?" asked Ms. Cavanaugh

"Yes. Her name is Piper Ann Reid and she's turning one on the 17th." said Spencer

"She's beautiful, and she has your eyes and curly hair Spencer." said Ms. Cavanaugh

"Thanks." said Spencer

"Where's Olivia?" asked Ms. Cavanaugh

"She just got out of the hospital yesterday." said Spencer

"Was she sick or injured?" asked a worried Ms. Cavanaugh

Spencer pulled out his cellphone and showed his former next door neighbor a picture of Albert and Ava.

"No, but four days ago Olivia gave birth to Albert and Ava." said Spencer

"They're gorgeous, and you and Olivia are definitely going to have your hands full with one toddler and two babies when you go back to work." said Ms. Cavanaugh before continuing "How are you and Olivia going to manage you being gone a few days a week before her maternity leave ends?"

"Olivia decided to quit her job and be a stay at home mom until the kids start school. Plus my dad is arriving today with my mom and aunt, and when my mom and aunt go back to Vegas he's staying since he's now retired." said Spencer

"So your dad is going to help raise his grandchildren?" asked Ms. Cavanaugh

"Yes." said Spencer before Piper started fussing and making a sign saying she needs a diaper change "You need a diaper change?"

Piper signed yes and Spencer looked at his former next door neighbor.

"I would love to continue talking, but Piper needs a diaper change." said Spencer

"Am I invited to Piper's first birthday party so I can meet the new additions?" asked Ms. Cavanaugh

"I will send you the invitation." said Spencer before walking away while pushing Piper's cart and headed towards a clerk "Ma'am, is there a changing table in the Mens' room?" asked Spencer

"Yes sir. Would you like me to watch over your cart?" asked the clerk

"Yes please." said Spencer as he grabbed Piper's diaper bag and Piper to head to the restroom and a few minutes later he approached the clerk with Piper on his hip

"How old is your daughter?" asked the clerk

"She's turning 1 on the 17th, and my wife asked me to do the shopping since she and I welcomed twins a few days ago." said Spencer as he got Piper settled into the cart

* * *

Spencer grinned when he saw his father's car in the driveway. He quickly got out of the driver's seat before collecting Piper out of the backseat and grabbing the few bags that contained party decorations before heading into the house where he saw his father and aunt each holding a twin and he smelled food cooking in the kitchen, making him realize that his uncle was currently cooking.

"When did you guys get here?" asked Spencer as he placed Piper into her playpen

"A half hour ago." said William

"Where's mom?" asked Spencer

Diana stepped out of the kitchen with her twin brother.

"I was catching up with my twin brother." said Diana as she made her way over to her son and hugged him "You look tired, baby."

"I know, but it's understandable since Albert and Ava were born a few days ago." said Spencer

"And that's why I sent Olivia upstairs to take a nap." said William before looking at his son "Albert looks so much like you, Spencer."

"Everyone is saying that, and I knew instantly based on the pictures I saw of me as a newborn." said Spencer

"And Ava looks so much like her mother." said Ethel

William looked at Ethel.

"Switch twins?" asked William

A minute later Ethel was holding Albert and she ran her finger through his curls

"I just hope that you don't follow your daddy's footsteps when it comes to growing your hair out." said Ethel

Spencer let out a yawn and Diana looked at her son.

"I think you should go join Olivia in bed and catch up on some sleep." said Diana

"Albert, Piper, and Ava should be fine with us since Olivia told us that there are bottles in the fridge before heading upstairs 15 minutes ago." said William

Spencer headed upstairs where he collapsed into bed next to Olivia, who instantly wrapped an arm around him as Spencer removed his glasses and set them on top of the night stand.

* * *

Nearly two weeks later, Spencer, Olivia, William, and Piper were eating breakfast while Albert and Ava slept in their bassinets, and Olivia looked at her husband.

"I'm dealing with cabin fever." said Olivia

Spencer softly chuckled so he wouldn't wake up Albert and Ava.

"So am I Livy. How about I call Hotch and find out if he and the others are on a case, and if they aren't we can take the twins on their first visit to the BAU?" asked Spencer

"Wonderful idea." said Olivia

Spencer looked at his father.

"Would you like to join us?" asked Spencer

"Sure." said William

"Since I am done eating my breakfast, I am going to go call Hotch." said Spencer as he got up and carried his empty plate to the sink before heading upstairs to call Hotch

* * *

Meanwhile at BAU headquarters, Hotch was sitting in his office working on paperwork when his cellphone rang. He couldn't help but smile when he saw that it was Spencer calling him.

"How are you adjusting to being a father to a nearly one year old baby girl and nearly three week old twins?" asked Hotch

"Despite being awakened a few times at night I do get tired easily during the day, but Olivia and I are making sure to take naps during the day when Piper, Albert, and Ava sleep." said Spencer

"What about adjusting to three generation of Reids living under the same roof?" asked Hotch

"My dad has been a great help since he moved in nearly two weeks ago, and I know that Olivia, Piper, Albert, and Ava will be in good hands when my paternity leave ends." said Spencer

"That's great, but why are you calling me even though you're supposed to be on paternity leave?" asked Hotch

"Are you guys on a case right now?" asked Spencer

"We just got back from a case yesterday, so it's a paperwork day for us." said Hotch

"How would you feel about my dad, Olivia, Piper, Albert, and Ava coming to the BAU today so Albert and Ava can have their first visit to the BAU and other agents and civilian staff can meet the twins?" asked Spencer

"Even though I ordered you to stay away from the BAU until your paternity leave ends?" asked Hotch

"Olivia and I are dealing with cabin fever, and Piper wants to see her godfather while Olivia and I tell you guys about what we have planned for Piper's birthday party on Monday." said Spencer

Hotch smiled at the mention of his goddaughter as his eyes landed on a picture of Jack and Piper together that he kept on his desk.

"You sold me by mentioning my goddaughter, so yes you can stop by today as long as you promise to stay away until your paternity leave ends." said Hotch

"Yes, sir." said Spencer

"Well we should hang up so you can get back to your family, and I will see you, your father, Olivia, and the babies later on today." said Hotch

"Just don't tell the others about what's going on today, since I want to surprise them." said Spencer before saying goodbye to Hotch and hung up

* * *

As Spencer, William, and Olivia exited the elevators each carrying Piper or a car seat, Spencer shook his head when he saw JJ, Alex, and Garcia standing by JJ's desk looking at photos on Garcia's phone, cooing at the pictures that Spencer sent Garcia earlier.

"I wonder how Spence is doing with managing an 11 month old and two week old twins?" asked JJ

Spencer quickly spoke up.

"I'm adjusting to being awakened a few times a night again, but everything is going great." said Spencer

JJ, Garcia, and Alex turned their heads and grinned when they saw Spencer with Piper on his hip while William and Olivia each carried a car seat.

"Why didn't you tell us that you guys were coming to visit?" asked Garcia as she made a beeline to the Reid family

"Let's go talk in the conference room, and Hotch already knew that we were coming to visit despite the strict orders he gave me about staying away from here during my paternity leave." said Spencer as he saw Morgan step into the bullpen

"My godchildren are here to visit?" asked Morgan

"Albert and Ava miss their godfather." said Spencer

"They're only two weeks old." said Morgan as he took a car seat from William

"I know, but we were dealing with cabin fever at home." said Spencer

A few minutes later the Reid family were in the conference room with Hotch, Morgan, JJ, Garcia, Alex, and Rossi and Olivia looked at her husband.

"We are officially childless until we leave." whispered Olivia as she and Spencer took in the sight of Hotch having Piper settled on his hip and Morgan and Garcia each holding one of the twins as JJ and Alex cooed at Albert and Ava

Hotch looked at Spencer.

"You ready to tell us about why you're here to visit despite the strict orders I gave you about staying away from here?" asked Hotch

"We are here to talk about Piper's birthday party, and Olivia and I decided on a theme the second day out of the hospital." said Spencer

"Are you going to tell us the theme?" asked Garcia

"We are doing a western theme, and Spencer, William, and I already have clothing that we can wear since we all grew up in the southwest." said Olivia

"Do you have everything you need for the party?" asked Garcia

"We have everything but the cake and decorating all set." said Spencer

"We are going to need help decorating, and Spencer's going to pick up the cake on Monday morning." said Olivia

"We will definitely be there early." said Garcia

"What about the menu?" asked Rossi

"We decided that we are going to order pizza." said Olivia

Morgan looked at Spencer.

"Mind if I bring a plus one?" asked Morgan

"Did my advice work?" asked Spencer

"It did." said Morgan

"Then bring your plus one." said Spencer

Hotch looked Spencer.

"Can I talk to you in my office for a few minutes?" asked Hotch as he passed Piper to JJ who was motioning for him to pass over her goddaughter

"Sure." said Spencer and a few minutes later Spencer was sitting on the couch in Hotch's office "What do you want to talk about?"

"Do you want to extend your paternity leave until July 8th so you can spend the 4th of July with your wife, father, and the babies?" asked Hotch

"Are you sure that you guys are wanting to manage working a bit longer without me?" said Spencer

"We have managed cases without you before, but it's understandable if you want to take more time off since you and Olivia are still adjusting to a nearly one year old baby and two babies." said Hotch

Spencer quickly thought of a diplomatic answer.

"Mind if I talk to Olivia about extending my paternity leave tonight after Piper, Albert, and Ava are asleep?" asked Spencer

"That's the answer I was hoping for, since it's important to talk about making important decisions with Olivia, and you can give me your answer during Piper's party on Monday." said Hotch

At that moment there was a knock on the door and Hotch spoke up.

"Come in." said Hotch

The door opened and Olivia stuck her head in.

"Piper fell asleep, and Albert and Ava are going to be hungry soon." said Olivia as she and Rossi stepped into the room

Hotch looked at the young parents.

"Then you two should probably get Piper, Albert, and Ava into their car seats so you two and William can leave." said Hotch

"We probably should." said Spencer

* * *

Later on that evening, Olivia looked at her husband as they were cuddling in bed.

"What did you and Aaron talk about?" asked Olivia

"Hotch asked me if I wanted to extend my paternity leave to July 8th instead of July 1st like I originally planned." said Spencer

"It's the 4th of July that week, and I can see why he would offer you another week off. So what did you tell him?" asked Olivia

"I told him that I would talk to you first, and that was the answer he was hoping for since I now talk to you first before making important decisions." said Spencer

"I think you should take that offer." said Olivia

"He said I can give him my answer on Monday during Piper's birthday party." said Spencer

"I just can't believe that Piper's turning 1 on Monday." said Olivia as some tears streamed down her face

"Me either. She grew way too fast for my liking." said Spencer

Olivia rolled her eyes at Spencer's comment.

"How much longer until Albert and Ava turn one?" asked Olivia

Spencer quickly did the math in his head.

"349 days." said Spencer before letting out a yawn "We definitely need to get some sleep before Albert or Ava start to demand our attention." said Spencer

A few minutes later Spencer and Olivia were fast asleep.

* * *

A/N: Only one more chapter after this one until the sequel!


	40. Father's Day and Piper Turns 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds

 _A/N: Shout out to OhSnapItsMadison, Hippichic81, tannerose5, and Mrs. JaganshiReidofHufflepuff for reviewing chapter 39._

 _This is the last chapter for this story, so please keep an eye out for Love Takes Away the Pain: Book Three which will deal with seasons 9 and 10._

 _When watching the episode "Spencer", and seeing the promo video for the next episode and reading the summary for the following episode I am definitely going to be making major changes in the season 12 storyline of my Love Takes Away the Pain Series._

* * *

Spencer opened his eyes to a blurry Piper standing by his bed as he reached for his glasses and put them on.

"Hi there, Goober." said Spencer

"Up, Daddy." said Piper

A few seconds later Piper was snuggling with her daddy in bed when Olivia came into the room with a tray filled with breakfast, a card, and a small wrapped package.

"Happy Father's Day, Spencer." said Olivia as she set the tray on Spencer's nightstand "Eat first before opening your gift."

"Yes, ma'am." teased Spencer as he started to eat his sausage and omelet while giving Piper an occasional bite of the omelet that Olivia made for him

10 minutes later Spencer was opening his card and smiled when he saw that the card contained Piper's, Albert's, and Ava's hand prints and a picture that Piper painted herself.

"This is definitely going into a frame so I can proudly display your artwork at work." said Spencer as he kissed Piper's head before unwrapping the small gift box to see a gold pocket watch that contained the first family photo after the twins births and he looked at Olivia who was bringing the now awake twins into the room "Thank you, and I will carry this watch every day." said Spencer as he kissed Piper before gently kissing Albert's and Ava's heads as Olivia placed the twins in his arms

At that moment Spencer's cellphone vibrated, and Olivia took a look at the text message before looking at Spencer.

"Hotch was wondering if you and Piper would like to join him, Jack, Will, and Henry at the park this morning. Albert and Ava are too young to join you guys, so I would be glad to stay here with the twins so I can help your father clean the house for tomorrow." said Olivia

"Don't you want me to help clean?" asked Spencer

"It's Father's Day so I want you to go have fun." said Olivia

"OK." said Spencer

"I will call JJ and see if she wants to help out." said Olivia as she quickly called JJ who answered right away "Hey JJ, would you like to help me clean the house for tomorrow while Spencer and Piper are at the park with your two boys and Aaron and Jack?" asked Olivia and a few seconds later Olivia spoke again "I will see you in a bit." said Olivia before hanging up

* * *

Spencer walked through the park while holding a toddling Piper's hand over to where Hotch and Will were talking as Jack and Henry played on the equipment He let Piper's hand go when they were a few feet away from Hotch.

"Sorry we're late, I had to change Piper's diaper before coming here." said Spencer as he watched Piper walk over to her godfather, who scooped her up

"It's OK." said Hotch as he looked at Piper "Are you being a good big sister?"

"Piper gives Albert and Ava a kiss goodnight before Livy and I put the twins down." said Spencer as he pulled out his new pocket watch from his pocket "This is one of my Father's Day gifts, even though Piper finger painted a picture for me that I am going to display on my desk at work."

"That's a nice photo." said Hotch as he noticed that Spencer and Olivia were smiling down at their three kids

"I have to say that this photo is my favorite." said Spencer

Will looked at Spencer.

"Ready for Piper's first birthday party tomorrow?" asked Will

"I am, and this past year has gone way too fast for my liking." said Spencer as he extracted Piper from Hotch's arms

"I just can't believe that Jack's starting third grade in a few months." said Hotchner as he watched his son

"And Henry's starting Kindergarten." said Will as he watched his son

"Kids grow way too fast for our liking." said Hotch as he made eye contact with Spencer and Will who nodded in agreement

At that moment Piper decided to break the solemn moment between the three fathers.

"Daddy?" asked Piper

"What, Piper?" asked Spencer as he tickled Piper's belly, causing her to laugh

Piper made a sign to tell her daddy that she wants to go on the swings.

"You want to go on the swings?" asked Spencer

"Ya." said Piper

Spencer carried his eldest to the swings and a minute later he was pushing a giggling Piper.

* * *

A short while later Spencer, Hotch, Will, Jack, and Henry were sitting on a blanket eating sandwiches as Piper napped on her daddy's lap.

"Having her sleep on you like that doesn't look comfy for her." said Jack

"Piper loves sleeping on top of me when I'm not catching bad guys with your daddy." said Spencer

"What type of cake is going to be at the party tomorrow?" asked Jack

"Chocolate, and there will also be ice cream." said Spencer

"Yay." said Jack and Henry while making sure they didn't wake Piper

"Good job, boys, for not waking Piper." said Hotch

"Are you going to be eating ice cream, uncle Spencer?" asked Henry

"I can't, Henry, because I get a tummy ache when I eat ice cream." said Spencer

"You get sick after eating ice cream?" asked a shocked Henry

"I have a sensitive tummy when it comes to eating ice cream, cheese, and drinking milk, but there are some types of cheese and milk that I can eat and drink and not get sick." said Spencer

"Then what type of milk was I drinking at your house uncle Spencer?" asked Jack

"Almond milk." said Spencer

At that moment Piper woke up and Spencer helped her sit up before Piper's stomach growled, causing her to giggle.

"She always laughs when someone's stomach growls." muttered Spencer as he searched for the snack that Olivia put in Piper's diaper bag and a few minutes later he was helping Piper eat her banana

* * *

Later that night, Olivia exited the master bathroom to see her husband laying in bed with Piper curled up next to him sleeping.

"Piper sleeping with us tonight?" asked Olivia as she got into bed

"She refused to sleep in her crib, so I brought her in here." whispered Spencer

Olivia burst into tears as she looked at her husband.

"I just can't believe that she's turning 1 tomorrow." said Olivia

"I can't believe it either Livy, but we should get some sleep since Albert and Ava are going to be waking us up in a few hours." said Spencer as he removed his glasses and placed them on the nightstand

* * *

Spencer woke up to Piper giving him sloppy kisses and quickly put his glasses on before looking at his daughter whose curly hair was all over the place from sleep.

"Did mommy put you up to waking me up?" asked Spencer as he tickled Piper's belly, causing her to laugh "I take that a yes."

After cuddling for a few more minutes, Spencer looked at his eldest.

"Happy Birthday, Piper." said Spencer

Piper looked confused at her daddy.

"You were born a year ago to this date, but last year June 17th was Father's Day and you were my Father's Day gift." said Spencer

At that moment Olivia entered the bedroom and looked at her husband.

"We should eat breakfast since we have a lot to do before Piper's party, and I am planning that we squeeze in a nap since we had to wake up for the twins a few times last night." said Olivia

* * *

Later that afternoon, Spencer looked at his wife who exited the bathroom wearing a knee length denim skirt, a plaid western shirt, cowboy boots, and her long hair pulled into a single braid down her back while wearing a cowgirl hat on top of her head.

"You look amazing." said Spencer

"You do too." said Olivia as she took in the appearance of her husband who was wearing the same type of outfit as her except he was wearing jeans and a Bolo tie

"Let's go see if Piper and the twins are awake so we can get them into the western wear before the others arrive." said Spencer

20 minutes later Piper was dressed like her mother while Albert and Ava wore pink or blue onesies that said MOMMY'S LITTLE COWBOY or DADDY'S LITTLE COWGIRL.

* * *

Spencer grinned as he let Emily and Rossi into the house.

"I'm glad you could make it, Emily." said Spencer as he hugged Emily while picking her up a bit

"I told Clyde that I am not going to miss Piper's birthday party while getting to meet my new niece and nephew." said Emily

"Well, Piper is with Hotch right now, and JJ and Garcia are holding Albert and Ava." said Spencer as he showed them where to put the gifts

A few minutes later Spencer was in the backyard with everyone but Morgan and his guest, and Piper toddled over to Emily.

"Up, Emmy." said Piper

"You're getting so big Piper, and happy birthday." said Emily as she hugged Piper who gave her a kiss on the cheek

Spencer's cellphone vibrated and he saw a text message from Morgan.

RUNNING LATE SINCE MY GUEST JUST GOT HOME FROM WORK, BUT WE SHOULD BE THERE IN 20 MINUTES. ~ DM

"Morgan's running a bit late, but he will be here in 20 minutes." said Spencer as JJ and Garcia came over to them with Albert and Ava, causing him to take Piper from Emily so Emily could hold one of the twins

Emily looked at Albert who was staring at her from her arms and looked at Spencer.

"He looks just like you, Spencer." said Emily

"I know, and Olivia's happy that Albert looks just like me." said Spencer as he placed Piper onto the ground before taking his son from Emily so Emily could meet Ava

"Ava looks just like Olivia." said Emily as Olivia came out to the backyard

"Glad you could make it, Emily." said Olivia

"How are you doing since giving birth nearly three weeks ago?" asked Emily

"I'm a bit tired, but Spencer and I squeezed in a nap while Piper, Albert, and Ava napped after lunch today before we had to start getting ready for this party." said Olivia

"You two look cute in your western wear." said Emily

"I already took pictures of the Reids in their western wear." said Garcia as she showed Emily the picture

At that moment Albert and Ava started crying and William came forward and extracted Ava from Emily as Olivia extracted Albert from Spencer.

"Let me help you with the twins, Olivia." said William

A minute later William and Olivia were in the house with the twins, and Emily looked at Spencer.

"How is your dad settling in?" asked Emily

"He's pretty much finished unpacking, and he's been a great help since moving in." said Spencer

"That's great, and I'm not even sure if I could handle living under the same roof as my mom again, but I am glad to see that things are continuing to go great with your father." said Emily

After a few more minutes of talking, Spencer headed inside with Piper to let Morgan and his date into the house.

"Sorry we're late." said Morgan

"It's OK Derek, and you two are the last to arrive." said Spencer

Morgan looked at Piper who was on her daddy's hip.

"Happy birthday, Piper." said Morgan

Piper blew raspberries at her Uncle Derek, causing Savannah to laugh at Piper's antics while Spencer smirked.

"I always wonder why Piper doesn't like her Uncle Derek so much, but maybe when she starts talking more she will tell me." said Spencer

Savannah looked at Spencer.

"I'm Dr. Savannah Hayes, and you must be Dr. Spencer Reid." said Savannah

"Please call me Spencer." said Spencer

"Only if you call me Savannah." said Savannah before looking at Piper "Hi there, Piper." said Savannah as she smiled at the birthday girl

"Hi." said Piper as she waved at Savannah

"She has your eyes, Spencer." said Savannah

Morgan took in the appearance of his adoptive younger brother wearing western wear as they headed into the house.

"This is the first time I've ever seen you dressed like this." said Morgan

"Garcia already took pictures of my dad, Olivia, Piper, Albert, Ava, and I in our western wear when she got here." said Spencer

"Where are Olivia and my godchildren right now?" asked Morgan

"She and my dad are feeding the twins right now, and I am official doorman." said Spencer

"How old are Albert and Ava?" asked Savannah

"19 days old, and it's a given that they will be sleeping during most of the party." said Spencer

At that moment Olivia and William came downstairs carrying two baby monitors and Spencer looked at them.

"The twins asleep?" asked Spencer

"Yes, and we thought that it would make sense to keep them upstairs where they can sleep peacefully." said Olivia

* * *

Spencer and Olivia were sitting on the floor with Piper on Spencer's lap as Spencer helped her unwrap her last gift, then Spencer helped Piper stand up and looked at her.

"You should tell everyone thank you for the gifts." said Spencer

Piper toddled person to person and had them lift her up so she could give them a kiss on the cheek as her way to thank everyone for the gifts and all the women in the room cooed at Piper's actions.

At that moment the doorbell rang, and Olivia and Spencer looked at each other.

"That must be the pizza." said Spencer

JJ and Will looked at Spencer.

"We got it, so why don't you two stay with the birthday girl." said JJ as she and Will got up to answer the door while making sure they paid for the pizza

* * *

After dinner was cleaned up, Spencer carried the small birthday cake to Piper's high chair and as he lit the candle everyone started singing Happy Birthday. When they was finished singing, Spencer and Olivia looked at each other before blowing out the candle on their daughter's small birthday cake together.

After the candle was removed, everyone watched anxiously to see what Piper was going to do as Garcia filmed the moment, and Spencer stuck a finger into the cake before putting the frosting into his mouth, causing Piper to mimic her father's actions before making a face to tell everyone that she doesn't like the cake.

"I guess she doesn't like the cake." said Olivia

At that moment Piper noticed her Uncle Derek standing a few feet away. She scooped up a handful of cake and threw it at her Uncle Derek before swiping it onto the floor. The cake avoided hitting Einstein who was sitting on the opposite side of Piper's high chair causing everyone to roar with laughter and a smug Spencer looked at his wife and father.

"You two each owe me $10 dollars." said Spencer smugly as he held out his hand

William and Olivia groaned as they each handed Spencer $10.

"You three had a bet about what Piper was going to do?" asked Hotch

"I thought that Piper would swipe her small cake off her highchair so it would land on Einstein while Spencer thought that she would throw her cake at Derek since Piper loves throwing her food at him." said Olivia

"And I thought that Piper was going to have Spencer feed her the cake himself since I had to feed him his cake myself during his first birthday." said William

Derek looked at Piper.

"Why are you always throwing stuff at me and blowing raspberries at me?" asked Derek

Piper blew raspberries at her Uncle Derek as her answer, causing more laughter.

Hotch looked at Morgan.

"Maybe Piper doesn't like it how you tease her daddy sometimes." said Hotch

"I was thinking that too." said Spencer

"Can we please eat cake now?" asked Jack

At that moment another cake was brought out of the fridge, and Garcia looked at everyone.

"After eating cake, I demand that a group picture is taken." said Garcia

* * *

Meanwhile, four adults who weren't seen by anyone watched everyone talk and laugh while eating cake.

"I'm glad that my brother reconnected with his son during the past two years." said Daniel as he watched his brother and nephew laugh at Piper's antics

Haley watched her ex-husband remove Piper from her high chair and give her a kiss on the cheek before listening to what she was trying to tell him.

"I'm glad that Piper gets Aaron to smile and laugh like Jack does." said Haley

Albert and Piper Hartman watched Spencer and Olivia give each other a soft kiss, despite the audience that witnessed the kiss.

"I'm glad that Olivia has found the type of man she was hoping to marry someday." said Piper

"If I was still alive, I would have accepted Spencer as my future son in law right away, even though I was protective of my little girl." said Albert

At that moment Daniel, Piper, Albert, and Haley watched everyone gather for a group photo, and after Piper, Albert, and Ava were in their parents or grandfather arms everyone smiled for Jessica who offered to take the picture.

~ _The End_ ~

* * *

 _A/N: Olivia's parents were named Albert and Piper which led Spencer and Olivia to name two of their three kids after Olivia's parents._

 _Thank you everyone for reading, adding this story to favorites, following, and reviewing this story!_

 _I have chapter 1 of Love Takes Away the Pain: Book Three (the sequel to this story) in progress, so please keep an eye out for Love Takes Away the Pain: Book Three, so I hope to see the same readers who have read Love Takes Away the Pain: Book One and its sequel Love Takes Away the Pain: Book Two continue to read my Love Takes Away the Pain Series._


	41. Sequel Now Up

Chapter 1 of Love Takes Away the Pain: Book Three is finally up, so please go check it out!


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